God Seed
by HitmanPAC
Summary: There is more to this world than meets the eye, and Ranma's about to find out just how different it really is. As in, par-for-the-course in his chaotic life. Why couldn't he have been a doctor? Or a pop-singer. Those are good too.
1. Ice cream is a subsitute for masculinity

Welcome to my Ranma fanfiction! I hope you enjoy it!

This is version 2 of chapter 1.

* * *

Ranma loved ice cream. It was his big secret. As he had grown up with his father, ice cream had been one of those occasional treats that Genma would buy for him every once in a blue moon, when the going got really tough. It was not only sweet and sugary in a way that everyday food couldn't compare to, it was cold – a frozen delicacy! When Ranma has taken his first lick of ice cream, he had nearly dropped it in shock – it was like trying to eat snow, but it actually tasted good! That ice cream had been chocolate flavored, and Ranma had, from then on, always preferred chocolate ice cream over anything else, purely for its nostalgic value.

But ice cream had been just that – a rare treat. And a man didn't try and find rare treats – he let them come to him. While the code of honor that Genma had spun into the entrapping web that it was today was often confusing, this bit Ranma understood perfectly: living purely on necessities was something only a real man could do, so living in such a manner was incontrovertible proof of being a man. He even understood why Genma insisted that Ranma had to continue upholding such proofs, as not only did he have to maintain the image of manliness for his mother, giving in to the small pleasures often led to even more slippage.

Oh, he understood that _all _too well.

When he had first been cursed to turn into a girl, Ranma had hated it with all his strength and loathed every second he had been trapped in that form. But he was a martial artist – and above that, a martial artist of the Anything Goes style, a style in which one found advantages where there were none and turned disabilities into winning strategies. To ignore the possible benefits of becoming a girl was not only against his style of fighting, it was against his style of thinking. Ranma hated to lose, and (much like his father, to his chagrin) he did whatever it took to win. That included trying to turn a curse into a blessing.

When he was a girl, people treated him differently – this was immediately apparent to Ranma. People expected different things from him, sometimes even if they knew he really was a boy. 'He really was a boy' – Ranma had professed that countless times, but he sometimes doubted whether that was really true or not. He wasn't asleep in class _all_ the time – biology had taught him enough about the human body to know that the person was shaped by the body as much as the body was shaped by the person. As far as he could tell, when he got hit by cold water his body completely transformed into that of a female. He had experimented a little – no, not that way, he wasn't perverted, damn it! - and was fairly certain that his female body was a female version of himself. Comparing pictures had shown him that they had many of the same facial features, and discounting feminine curves and breasts, he still had the same general body shape. So after a while, he began to ask himself – when he was transformed into a female version of himself, was his mind transformed as well?

Every time he passed an ice cream shop in girl form, he felt the urge to get something sweet. This was nothing strange to him, as his love of ice cream was carefully repressed and sated only when convenient and honorable, but after the curse it had become stronger. He knew plenty of girls that obsessed about their weight, and plenty that disliked sweet things, but they were always more at ease than boys were with comforting themselves when they felt that they required it – and society said this was okay. Not that he'd ever say that to a girl, but that's what his experiences told him. If his girl form really was a female version of himself, then, it didn't seem that strange to indulge himself every once in a while, and society agreed. That was what his manly honor told him – that women should be indulged before men.

So if he was a different person, with different needs and wants, did the same rules of honor apply to him? Sure, it was important to uphold honor even as a girl, but was it important to uphold _manliness_? He still thought many of the tenants his father had taught him (some by indirect example of what _not_ to do) were important to uphold, not from the perspective of a man, but from the perspective of a person. People expected different things of girls – and if he really was a girl, then his honor demanded that, to some extent, he uphold those expectations.

So he had bought that ice cream cone, one day. He had submitted to the pleasure. He had given the stall keeper the cutest smile he could muster (which, Ranma was proud to say, was pretty damned cute. One never let an advantage slip one by) and the guy had blushed, fumbled the scoop, and eventually given him a chocolate ice cream cone. Ranma had sat down and licked it carefully and methodically, savoring the flavor and the icy medium through which it was conveyed. He had felt much better, more confident, and refreshed – indulgence was something rare and special, and he treasured it all the more because it was okay for girls to indulge.

But it hadn't ended there. The next time he passed by an ice cream shop, he felt the urge, strong as ever. He had been busy at the time, and couldn't stop to have a treat, but the urge had gotten worse, at a rate much faster then normal. He knew why, too – all he had to do was transform into a girl, and suddenly it was, strangely enough, okay for him to indulge himself.

He resisted, of course. He knew now that choosing, as a man, to become a girl and indulge his wants was only a shortcut, and it still violated his manly honor. But it was so hard, so difficult, when on one side he had his honor as a man telling him to repress himself, while on the other he had one of the few, _oh so few_ benefits of becoming a girl telling him it was socially acceptable for him to indulge. He felt torn in two, equally pulled in two different directions. And one day, when he had been walking with Akane and Nabiki as a girl and the two had suddenly expressed a desire for ice cream, Ranma couldn't help but agree.

The next time it had become easier, and the one after that even easier, and soon he was sneaking off for little treats here and there, using smiles and a coquettish voice to get what he wanted without paying a cent – and all of it was socially acceptable. Well, a lot of people considered the free food part dishonorable, but that was like fat kids telling him it was unfair for him to be so athletic – they were just jealous. The whole evil-girl-twin affair had put him off it, but only for a while. In order to survive with his curse and not go ballistic on every guy than tried to hit on him while he was a girl, he had to make allowances and grow comfortable enough with his female body to shrug said advances off – meaning more treats.

It wasn't as bad as before the evil twin incident, but he still indulged himself, and he felt a bit guilty about it. Genma knew what was going on, too – Ranma could feel his eyes every time he walked into the house, probing and judging and asking questions that Ranma didn't want answers to. The fact that Genma never actually said anything made it worse – it was a silent agreement that, yes, the cursed had to make concessions to survive. Genma had his tire, and Ranma had his treats – but what went too far and entered into the realm of dishonorable conduct? Every time his father gave him that look, the look that was half fatherly concern and half contempt, Ranma found himself asking that question, and he didn't have the answer.

This morning, though, Genma wasn't giving him the Stare; thanks to the half-dozen martial artists currently sitting in the Soun dojo living room, he was too busy hiding in the corner and playing with his tire. At the moment, Ranma was crammed between Ryoga and Mousse; this was to prevent any of his fiancées from getting close enough to spark a conflict. Shampoo was leaning against a wall, glaring at Ukyo, who was levelly matching Shampoo's gaze with her own. Pantyhose Taro was leering at everyone around him, his distasteful lechery matched only by arrogant disdain. Kasumi was in the kitchen, preparing a second round of tea for everyone (the first being one of the major reasons the fragile peace existed at all), and Akane was seated across from Ranma, refusing to look at him because of some misunderstanding that, quite honestly, Ranma had already forgotten about. Nabiki had retreated onto the porch, where she was deciding how to allocate the funds to deal with the destruction that everyone knew would eventually erupt.

Ryoga shifted in his seat. "When is he going to get here? We've been waiting for, what, an hour?"

"Nervous, piggy?" Taro sneered. "Anxious to relieve yourself of your terrible burden? You're weak, just like that cowardly faggot sitting next to you!"

Ranma ground his teeth together. "Hey, can't you just shut your mouth for a little while, Pantyhose? A little longer and the guide will get here, and then you can go on your merry way."

"Unlike you idiots," Taro said lazily, "I'm not looking for a cure – if this doesn't pan out, I'll be fine. So I don't really care if I mess things up – in fact, I might just do it for fun!"

Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse looked at each other and grinned. "Do what you want. There's no way you can beat all of us at once," Ranma said.

"Maybe, maybe not." Taro pulled out a flask of water and started swishing it around. "I'd say the odds would be quite different if I happened to 'spill' this on myself."

"Don't bother," Nabiki said casually from outside. "I installed a hot water sprinkler system recently. You try anything and you'll be sprayed from three different directions faster than you can blink."

Taro growled, but replaced the flask on his belt. There was a silence for a few minutes, and then Akane spoke up.

"Ryoga, why are you here? You too, Ukyo; I thought this was only important to people who were cursed."

Ukyo flipped her hair over her shoulder, never taking her eyes of Shampoo, who was doing the same. "Emotional support, dear. Just in case, as Pantyhose here said, things don't pan out, I'll be here to make sure Ranma understands that he's still wanted and loved."

"Ah, me too!" Ryoga exclaimed hurriedly. "I couldn't let my, uh, my dear friend Ranma face something like this alone, could I? Isn't that right, dear friend Ranma?" He nudged Ranma, a strained smile plastered on his face.

"Ah, right," Ranma monotoned as he rolled his eyes, "I'm so glad my dear friend Ryoga is here to help. I have no idea what I'd do without him."

Ryoga gave a forced laugh and put his arm around Ranma's shoulders. "Yes, that's right, dear friend! We'll always be there for each other, won't we!"

Akane smiled. "It's nice to see that you're such good friends."

"Yeah, right. Good friends," Ranma muttered.

Ryoga leaned over and whispered into Ranma's ear. "I owe you, man."

"That's what you've said the last fifty times I helped you out of a jam, but I haven't seen you deliver yet."

"That's harsh! I help you out all the time!"

"Not nearly as much as I help you out!"

"Oh yeah? Prove it!"

"Gladly!"

Mousse leaned over and began whispering as well. "Will you two shut up and wait?"

Ranma glared, his temper and competitive spirit getting the better of him. "Stay out of this, ducky. It's none of your business!"

"It becomes my business when you threaten my chance of getting a cure!"

"Like you even need it! You enjoy it when Shampoo teases you in your duck form!"

"I do not! Saotome's the pervert, not me!"

"Hey! Why do people keep saying that about me?"

"Because you change into a girl whenever it suits you?"

"That's not fair, man! My curse is way harder to live with than yours!"

"Fool! You know nothing of hardship! You ruined my life, Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!"

Ranma paused for a second, and the other two did the same.

"Aren't you going to do anything, Ryoga?" Ranma finally asked.

"What? Why would I- oh, yeah, I did just say that, didn't I. Sorry, it's kind of a reflex nowadays."

"Great. My 'dear friend' has a conditioned reflex to try to kill me. That says a lot about my life."

"It's not a reflex _to_ kill you, just to _say_ that I'm going to."

"And that says a lot about _your_ life."

"Shut up, ducky, or I'll show you real suffering!"

"You know, I actually have a brand of knife that's named 'Real Suffering' stored in my coat right now. I could show it to you, if you want – real close."

"Don't threaten me, feather-butt, or I'll poke a hole in your head."

"Calm down, you two! Think of the cure, think of the cure!"

"Why should I be thinking of a cure that may or may not exist when the_reason_ I'm cursed is right in front of me?"

"Oh, so _now_ you're going to try something? Fine, porky, bring it! When I kick your ass, and ducky's here too for good measure, I'll keep the cure all to myself!"

"You evil, evil man! I'll never let Shampoo fall into your clutches!"

The three began to stand, but were interrupted when there was a knock on the door. There was a general scramble as everyone tried to open the door, but it was, of course, Kasumi who got there first.

"Why, hello there," she said cheerfully as she opened the door. "You must be the Jusenkyo Guide everyone's been waiting for. Please, come in and have some tea."

The Guide, his hat in his hands, bowed deeply. "Thank you very much, thank you very much," he mumbled hastily. He walked through the door, his stride so cautious and polite that Ranma had trouble precisely sensing his movements. To everyone's surprise, though, another man followed the Guide through the doorway – an old, old man, who, despite having a cane in one hand, walked with power and excitement, and had a gleam in his eyes. He had an amazing tower of white, shiny hair on his head – it almost looked alive, it was so vibrant. Ranma was reminded of Happosai, but without the overbearing presence of lust, or the baldness.

The Guide went to the table, bowed to everyone once more, and then kneeled down. "Honored visitors of Jusenkyo, I bear terrible, terrible news, and possibility of wonderful, wonderful news. This is why head of order, Jusenkyo Morals Committee, has come to see you and give news."

Ranma immediately felt pangs of worry, and looking around he saw similar reactions in everyone else. _What could this terrible news be_, Ranma thought, _ and what did he mean by the 'possibility' of great news?_

"Well," the old man said with cheer, "first, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Kondi Xia Nia, and I am indeed the head of the Jusenkyo Morals Committee. I will waste no time; the news I bear you will be hard to take, and I'm sure you will have many questions."

Suddenly, his expression and tone became intensely serious. "I am afraid that the Jusenkyo Springs are now dead."

Momentarily shocked by the wight of the old man's words, Ranma felt hope dying in him. When he saw the pathetic expressions of loss and fear on the faces of Mousse, Shampoo, and even Ryoga, he couldn't exercise restraint. "What the hell do you mean, they're 'dead'!? Explain yourself!"

Kondi Xia Nia nodded gravely. "I have every intention to. As you are no doubt aware, being the perpetrators of the incident, the Dragon Statue was destroyed in your fight with Saffron."

"Yeah," Ryoga said, his voice trembling despite his best attempts to control it, "and the waters got mixed together. But we were told that this was just a temporary problem!"

"It was. As any of your elders could tell you, powerful magical items and places like Jusenkyo will normally repair themselves, even if it takes hundreds of years. In this incident, however, the magic of Jusenkyo has completely vanished. Not even the barest of fragments of the magic that once powered Jusenkyo remains."

"That impossible!" Shampoo suddenly shouted. "Magic no get destroyed like that, is impossible!"

"You are absolutely right," Kondi Xia Nia said. "It was not destroyed, as that is impossible. It was stolen."

Everyone suddenly started shouting.

"Stolen!"

"How?"

"By who!"

"Who would have such power?"

"Calm down, clam down," the old man said. "I am partially here to see if the culprit is here – or if there really is a culprit at all. Please remain calm while I perform a small ritual."

Kondi Xia Nia pulled a small glass flask out of his pocket with one hand, and a stone suspended on a string with the other. Pouring the contents of the flask over the stone, he gently swung it in circles with his eyes closed. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly exhaled in one quick burst, and flipped the stone into the air. Instead of responding to gravity, it hovered – and then shot straight for Ranma, nearly tearing itself out of the old man's grasp.

Ranma suddenly found himself the subject of half a dozen extremely hard, possibly violent stares. He gulped. "Uh, it's not what it looks like? I have no idea what's going on either, the old man should explain, _start explaining how this isn't my fault, geezer!_"

The old man chuckled. "No need to look so angry, everyone. It appears that, not only have I found where the magic has gone – I have found a way to cure you all."

Ryoga, like his normal self, suddenly switched from intensely wanting to kill Ranma to intensely wanting to hug Kondi Xia Nia. "Really!? That's wonderful!"

"Wow," Akane piped up, "you're such a good friend for Ranma! He doesn't deserve you at all!"

Ryoga flinched and rubbed the back of his head. Meanwhile, Mousse continued where Ryoga had left off. "Please, tell us what this cure is. Do we need to do something to Ranma? Something violent?"

"Oy, oy, I haven't done anything wrong!"

"No," Kondi Xia Nia said, "you haven't. This will require a rather complicated explanation, so listen carefully."

Pausing, he let everyone give him their full attention before continuing. "In this world, there are many fantastic beings. You have already met one – Saffron, a literally immortal creature, who will be born again and again. You have heard legends of many others, such as dragons, ogres, and sometimes even gods, although these fantastic being are not true gods. These creatures are all born in the same way – from those bearing a God Seed.

"A God Seed is a bit of special Ki. It is formed when a normal human expends a tremendous amount of Ki and energy in an extremely short amount of time. As you can imagine, while this is rare, it is far from impossible. Cologne and Happosai, people you are familiar with, I believe, both have God Seeds in them; many martial artists develop them if they dedicate themselves to their art long enough.

"Possessing a God Seed, by itself, does not give you title to call yourself a god. However, it certainly makes you exceed the term 'human', as I'm sure you have seen for yourself. A possessor of a God Seed does not age the same way a human does – their body stays fairly fit no matter how old they get, and they do not suffer many of the ills that normally befall the elderly. This results in their lives being greatly extended in length. The strength of these effects differs from Seed to Seed, and not all God Seeds are equal.

"In addition, powerful God Seeds have unique properties in and of themselves. Happosai's is rather famous, for example; his ability to subsist on and use lust as a substitute for Ki is nigh legendary, and many people have tried to emulate it. But, of the few that manage to create God Seeds within themselves, only the barest fraction of those continue on to develop such properties. As for the fantastic beings I mentioned earlier – those with God Seeds give birth to children who are naturally stronger and healthier than normal children, and can more easily create God Seeds. If a few generations in a row manage to develop God Seeds, then the children they bear will cease to be human entirely, and develop into the mystical races and creatures you know and have fought. It also helps if both parents of a child have God Seeds."

"Get to the point," Ranma said with annoyance. "How does this effect us?"

"Oh, it already has. Ranma, in your fight with Saffron, you managed to develop a God Seed, and one of considerable strength. It was so strong, in fact, that it absorbed the power of Jusenkyo."

Ranma was stunned for a second, and then he started shouting. "That's ridiculous! Why should we believe you? How do we know you're not just trying to pin this off on me so you can get away with the power of Jusenkyo, huh?"

"Why, the test I used just now on you is proof enough. The stone was a fragment of the Dragon Statue, and the water was from Jusenkyo, before it's magic was stolen. Storing it bled out its magic, but the imprint remained, and the fact that it flew at you so hungrily is proof enough that the magic resides with you."

"Wha- Huh-" Ranma gripped his forehead tightly with one hand, feeling a headache beginning to come on. "Argh! All you're doing is making my head hurt with all these roundabout explanations that don't really explain anything! God Seeds or Stones or whatever the hell you're talking about, I don't care. Just tell me how I can fix things, how I can put the magic back into Jusenkyo."

Kondi Xia Nia shook his head. "That's quite impossible. The magic has bonded with you quite firmly. However, do not fear. Jusenkyo has become a part of you – whatever Jusenkyo could accomplish, you can as well. I'm not sure to what extent, as the magic of Jusenkyo was simply one of change, and the pools were more geographical extensions of that magic than inherent aspects, but I'm fairly certain curing people of their curses is something you can easily accomplish, once you figure out how to actually use these powers."

"Wait," Ranma said, a little breathlessly. "Are you saying- am I cured? If I figure out how to use this magic or whatever, I'll never have to become a girl again?"

Kondi Xia Nia shook his head again, this time sadly. "I'm afraid that is not going to happen. You see, the reason the magic latched onto you is because you were cursed. You are not the first person the develop a God Seed while in the presence of the magic that cursed you – and you are not the first to absorb the magic like you have. Your curse has become the mortar between you and the magic – and just as surely as you cannot get rid of the magic, you cannot get rid of the curse. There are ways to cure curses, and even if you don't have the ability to cure these people here, they should eventually be able to find a magic powerful enough to counter Jusenkyo. You, however, will never be able to escape it – not unless you wish to destroy yourself as well."

Ranma felt a depression deeper than any he had ever felt before grip him tightly. His vision started to dim, and everything seemed to fade away. The old man continued to speak, but Ranma wasn't really listening any more. He just couldn't handle it – the smallest shreds of hope, that he had always been able to hold onto no matter how desperate he became, had themselves been shredded entirely, and cast away into nothingness. There was nothing left, no path to take. His father had taught him to keep on fighting no matter what, to never give up, but there was nothing left to fight anymore. There was no cure. He _was_ the cure, but only for others. The irony was too strong for him to handle.

He felt hands on his arm, on his shoulders, and curled up into a ball. Warm bodies pressed against him, and he pressed back, but only to feel the warmth. Deep, deep in his mind, he felt the Neko-ken stirring, waking, and then mourning with him. He could feel the thoughts of his cat-self – not a truly distinct personality but merely a highly fractured aspect of himself – and he could feel its sorrow, its regret at opportunities lost, futures laid to waste. He shared his sorrow with his cat-self, and it shared its carefree feline outlook, and Ranma felt the depression lifting a little bit.

Then, to his surprise, he felt a different, third presence – his girl self. It was not nearly as fractures as the neko-ken, but it was still slightly different. Ranma couldn't visualize it as anything different from him; if the neko-ken was standing in front of him, he was back to back with his girl side, and their empathy for each other was so strong that they really were just one person. Nevertheless, today something was distinctly different; the girl side had, perhaps, fractured a little bit more, enough that it could take some of his pain, and ease his burden.

His senses began to return. and Ranma found himself in a lap – three laps, in fact. In an emergency meeting, Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo had unanimously decided to cuddle him all at once, and Ranma could see Ryoga and Mousse staring down at him with sadness in their eyes – sadness, but also hunger – hunger for a cure. Looking at Shampoo, he expected to find the same hunger there, but to his surprise found only empathy.

Realizing that he was having fairly intimate physical contact with not one, two, but _three_ of his fiancées all at once, Ranma sat up very straight. Looking around, he found that nothing had changed much. _I must not have been out for very long_.

He took a long, deep breathe, and focused his eyes on Kondi Xia Nia. "All right, old man. If I have some sort of God Stone in me,-"

"God Seed."

"God Seed, Stone, Pebble, whatever, that can cure everybody, then I'd like to figure out how to use it quickly. So, could you teach me how?"

Kondi Xia Nia shook his head and chuckled. "I'm afraid I'd have no idea what to do. As you guessed, I do indeed possess a God Seed, but it is a very weak one with no abilities beyond the norm for God Seeds, and I have no experience that may help you. Khu Lon may be powerful, but to my knowledge she does not possess a Seed with unique abilities either – but then, she is a secretive woman, and it is entirely possible she has hidden them all this time. Happosai would probably be a wonderful teacher – but I doubt he would accept you as a student. He may have taught martial arts to many, but he keeps the secrets to his God Seed vary carefully hidden."

Ranma blanched. "I wouldn't let Happosai train me if he _begged._Isn't there anyone else who could teach me?"

Kondi Xia Nia blinked. "I thought that would be obvious. You father would be a perfect tutor."

Everyone stopped moving and turned their gazes towards Genma. He was still playing with the tire – only now, he was also holding a sign, which read I'm just a simple panda, don't mind me .

Ranma coughed. "I think you have a case of mistaken identity. My father-"

"-is an extremely famous martial artist, in the right circles. He developed a God Seed early on in life, just like you did, and it was a strong one. It is no surprise that your God Seed is as strong as it is – Genma, while clearly not terribly wise, is not someone to be trifled with. In the circles I travel in, he's known as The Master."

"My father," Ranma said, his voice filled with contempt, "is a thief and a liar. I regularly kick his ass at martial arts, and he cowers at the slightest of frowns from the weakest of people. There is no_way_ that he could have a, a, a God Seed. Really."

Kondi Xia Nia laughed heartily. "You are absolutely right about his character! I said he was famous, not that he was a good person. However, his abilities are not to be doubted. He may look like he's only forty, but he is actually over a hundred years old."

"That's ridiculous!"

"Indeed it is. Mr. Saotome is extremely out of character with the typical Seed-bearing martial artist. He spends his time begging meals and trying to secure luxury for himself, and his honor is a fairly bendable concept."

Genma ignored the conversation, and continued to rock his tire back and forth. An additional line had been added to his sign at some point: Just a panda. That's all. Nothing more .

"If my pop was some kind of long-lived super hero, he'd be living it up, not trying to get me to shack up with his friends daughter just so he can mooch off me for the rest of his life."

Akane looked indignant, but said nothing. Kondi Xia Nia continued. "I'm sure he would – but his abilities don't go that way. You see, your father's God Seed makes him a highly ingenious creator of martial art styles and techniques. From what I've heard, you've already come into contact with the pair he designed around thieving, the Umisenken and the Yamasenken."

Ranma opened his mouth, but then shut it again. Thinking for a moment, he then nodded. "You're right. I always wondered how he could come up with such a special martial art style."

"Indeed. The Yamasenken, actually, is the only technique I've heard of that Genma has taught to another. Normally he seals them away. I've heard he considers it cheating to use his God Seed – that he's too young to have to rely on it."

Suddenly Genma was at the table, back in human form. Sighing, he sat himself down. "Well, there's no point hiding it now. Everything this man has said is true. I do, indeed, possess a God Seed – and I do, indeed, refuse to use it. As a master of the Anything Goes martial arts styles, I must follow its tenants – and as you know, son, the core tenant is to use the technique, not to let the technique use you."

Kondi Xia Nia raised an eyebrow. "Is this true, Ranma?"

Ranma scratched his head. "Well, I guess it is true, but I always thought it was one of those things that people said just to sound wise. This time is probably no different. But hey!" He turned to Genma. "If you really do have one of these Seeds, then you've got some explaining to do!"

"Later, boy, later. I want to make something clear first." Genma gave everyone in the room a long, hard stare. "Now you know my secret. Everyone here is a responsible martial artist, so I expect you to keep it. This changes nothing – I'm not going to start accepting martial art challenges, and I'm not going to start unleashing sealed techniques on anyone. I sealed them for a reason, and they're going to stay that way."

Ranma blinked, and then his eyes widened. "Oh. Oh! Now I understand! You keep sealing up those techniques because, if you used them, you'd be plagued with people asking to learn them from you – as well as people trying to prove their strength by beating you. You're just lazy!"

Genma gave Ranma a withering glare. "Don't presume you know me, boy! You're still a little brat compared to me, so don't get uppity!"

"Hah! I can take you down any day of the week!"

Genma frowned, but then turned back to the rest of the people in the room. He took a deep breath, and everyone leaned in to hear what he was going to say.

Suddenly looking nervous, Genma grabbed a glass of tea, now gone cold, and splashed himself back into being a panda and returned to the corner, where he picked up his tire and resumed his play. The sign went back up as well, now truncated to, Just a panda .

Ranma rolled his eyes and turned back to Kondi Xia Nia. "That's my father for you, running away from his responsibilities. I'll get answers out of him later. Can you tell me a little bit more about what you _do_ know of my condition?"

Kondi Xia Nia nodded. "Certainly. I learned much about the fairly mysterious Genma today, so I'd be happy to help." He cleared his throat. "The strength of your God Seed is amazing – in fact, a shred more power at your birth and you would have ended up something entirely different. As it is, though, you were born a completely normal human – but the circumstances of your Seed's birth have modified that somewhat. Absorbing the power of Jusenkyo has fundamentally altered your being, and I imagine that both parts of you, both your cursed side and your normal side, will begin to become equally important parts of you. I'd say that chaos will become a part of your life, but that already seems to be true."

Ranma pondered for a minute. "Well, I believe you. If nothing else, my old man would never straight out lie about something like _that_. He doesn't have the imagination. Also, while I was, well, depressed back there, I realized that there was something different about a power I had – the Neko-ken. You know what it is?"

"Indeed I do. I am terribly sorry that you have learned such a brutal technique. Your father seems to be projecting his thirst for learning and creating techniques onto you."

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, there was something different about it today. It seemed gentler – more a part of me, more something I could control."

"I imagine that the strengthening and healing effects of your God Seed have already begun to effect you. It is not just a physical strength that it grants you – your mind will be protected and bolstered as well. In addition, the magic of Jusenkyo may be working to meld your separate personalities together – that's what the scope of Jusenkyo is, after all, forcing two distinct creatures to live in the same body harmoniously."

"Wait- are you saying that I'm going to become girly now? No way!"

"Not at all, not at all!" Kondi Xia Nia laughed. "Well, I can't pretend to know what will happen, but I highly doubt that. If your personalities merged, the curse would be effectively bypassed, or perhaps changed – and the magic of Jusenkyo will not allow that. The curse will always be with you, and that involves having two distinct bodies. I mentioned that your two different bodies will become equally important: this is because your feminine side will become more influential while you are feminine. In short, while you are female you will be female, and while you are male you will be male."

Ranma frowned. "but that's- that's so confusing. Which am I supposed to be?"

"Both, of course. You'll be the same person, with the same goals and beliefs, just with different ways of getting there, so to speak. Do not fret over it – it is a part of you, and not something thrust upon you. It really is inaccurate to call it a curse anymore – it is no longer a magical effect being imposed upon you, it is a magical effect being generated _by_ you. I have little knowledge of what it will be truly like, but I imagine it might make things easier if you name your other side something different – assuming you haven't already."

Ranma was quiet as he thought about this, and Ryoga took the opportunity to speak. "You know, I'm all for giving Ranma space to figure out what the hell is going on, but how soon can we expect him to be able to cure us?"

Genma grunted to get everyone's attention, and then raised a series of signs. Now that he's realized what's happening, It will probably take a month or two. Have patience. He'll figure it out. He's my son, after all .

"Thanks, dad. That means so much to me, coming from a pillar of moral integrity such as yourself. I'm _so_ proud to be your son – After all, nobody else could better teach me what _not_ to become."

Genma threw a sign at Ranma, who half-heartedly deflected it with one hand. Genma produced more signs, these meant to be read. After he figures out how to cure you all, Ranma and I are going on a training journey. I expect we'll be gone for at least a year.

"What!?" Ranma shouted. "You can't just do that to me, pops! I don't want to leave! I have school here! And what about this fiancée problem – I can't just _leave_!"

Sure you can! It's a great idea. When you come back, everyone will have a better perspective on what to do.

Ukyo stepped up, eyes flaming. "I'm-"

-Not coming with us. No one's coming with us.

Ukyo stepped forward threateningly. "I've chased after you two all my life, and you expect me to suddenly stop now? I'm following you, no matter what you do!"

Genma shrugged, an odd gesture coming from a panda on its back gripping a tire. Do as you wish. We'll be back in a year. I'll make sure to give you an exact date, so when you lose us, you'll know when to come back here to Nerima.

Ukyo growled, but said nothing more. While Genma having a God Seed was pretty unbelievable, his ability to run was something no one was doubting.

Shampoo flounced over and attached herself to Ranma's arm. "Shampoo wait forever for Airen. Well, Shampoo go home, but come back when Airen comes back. Shampoo definitely marry Airen! Definitely!"

Aware that Shampoo's behavior was causing Akane severe irritation, Ranma carefully slid out of her grasp, but found himself placing a hand on Shampoo's shoulder anyway. He still remembered how he hadn't seen a hint of greed when he had fallen into a depression – and he was grateful. "I'm sure you will, but I'm not gone yet – and I have not intention of going."

Shampoo tried to regain her previously amorous contact, but Ranma prevented her from doing so. "Shampoo never give up on Airen! Never! Shampoo marry Airen even if cursed forever!"

Ranma winced. "That's not really an 'if' anymore. And forever seems to have gotten a lot longer. I can't promise that I'll marry you, Shampoo, you know that - but I _will _promise to cure you."

Shampoo gave him the full measure of her cuteness, opening her eyes wide and gently placing her hands on his chest. "That all you promise?"

Ranma blushed, and found his tongue tripping over itself. "Well.. I... uh... you see... I mean, I can't just..." Looking around for help, he found none forthcoming. Akane looked away, her previous anger seemingly intensified. "We'll, uh, we can talk about this later. After I cure you. Okay?"

Shampoo nodded. "Okay. Shampoo and Airen talk _long_ time. Want to... make up for long absence."

"I told you, I won't be leaving. Pop's not going to win this one." Ranma opened his mouth to say more, but to his surprise he found himself being lifted into the air – by Genma, who had returned to human form. He barely had time to gasp before they were out the door and flying through the air, Genma carrying Ranma away from the house at a speed considerably more intense than anything he'd ever seen him use before. Ranma struggled and broke free, but they were already several blocks away.

"What do you want, old man! Why'd ya have to steal me away like that!"

Genma straightened his glasses. "I could see you were having trouble understanding the importance of this trip we- you, really- need to take."

"I don't see what's so different this time. Sure, there's this whole seed thing going on, but you just see some extra potential in me and want to train me extra hard, don't you?"

Shaking his head, Genma looked quite serious. "This isn't really a training trip at all. In actuality, there are people you need to meet, formalities that need to be taken for a newly ascended God Seed, and I need to make sure you attend to them. That's why we'll be going on this trip – and that's why you can't just choose a wife now. I can hardly expect whoever you choose to just willingly let me take you away – so you'll have to choose afterwards. I'm confidant in my skills, but those girls are _determined_ – I'd rather not have to find out if I can outrun them or not."

"Whatever, pops. If you're done, I'm going back to the house."

"Not so fast!" Genma extended his battle aura a bit, and Ranma immediately got into a fighting pose. "It is true that I seal most of my techniques. It may sound arrogant of me, but the techniques I create are so good that I just can't handle them. But there are a few that I use, if not regularly." Genma sank into a low stance, and tensed all of his muscles. "And I need to teach you at least one of them, right here, right now."


	2. Kunos invented diplomatic immunity

This is chapter 2, version 2.

* * *

Ranma tensed himself, ready for whatever Genma was going to throw at him. Genma was crouched low, concentrating as he strained his muscles; Ranma could feel the Ki building up in his father, but there was something really, really strange about it. It was like the Ki was just evaporating, or disappearing, or something; rather than fill up with Ki, to Ranma's senses Genma was becoming a sort of conduit, producing it and then releasing it. It was one of the first things Ranma has been taught _not_ to do – letting Ki disappear like that could be lethal.

And yet it wasn't just disappearing. There was something else that Genma was holding, but Ranma wasn't quite sure what. Given the recent revelations Kondi Xia Nia had revealed to him, he suspected that it had something to do with this 'God Seed' business, but Ranma had no idea what to expect.

All of a sudden, Genma broke out of his crouch and dashed towards Ranma, throwing a punch. Ranma held up a hand to deflect the blow, but the punch suddenly turned into a grab. This was nothing unusual for fighters of their level, but as Ranma moved his body to deflect Genma's hand, he noticed that Genma wasn't going for a hold – he was just trying to touch him.

It was too late, though. As Genma briefly tapped Ranma's shoulder, Ranma felt a shock of foreign energy entering his body and turning into a paralyzing pain that instantly drove him to his knees. He avoided crying out, but he was effectively defenseless – Genma had won the fight, and with the slightest touch of a hand.

The pain quickly wore off, but Ranma had gotten the message: Genma had been holding back on him. A little dazed, he took Genma's hand when it was offered without thinking, and was pulled to his feet.

"That technique," Genma said, "was the Tente Tensou Shushou (Heavenly Hand Transfer Palm), one of the moves of something I've named the Heaven Style, due to its relevancy for all God Seed users."

Genma blankly focused his eyes on the air right in front of him, a sign Ranma had learned that meant he was about to start lecturing. "There are three kinds of bodily energy. There is life energy, which everyone has. There is Ki, which martial artists utilize. And there is deific energy, of which the God Seed is made, and what those holding God Seeds can learn to utilize.

"Life energy is beneficial to all beings, and many martial arts techniques turn Ki into life energy to bolster or heal yourself and others. Ki is generally beneficial to yourself, but neutral to others. Deific energy, however, while harmless to yourself, is toxic to others. It is a unique to every person – calling this type of energy by a unified name is a matter of simplicity, not accuracy. The God Seed Style makes use of this property to turn a person's deific energy into a weapon. By channeling Ki through your God Seed, you can produce deific energy – and you can release this energy out of yourself by touching others. Deific energy can only subsist within creatures – you cannot send it shooting through the air, like you can Ki with the Moko Takabisha. If you try, it will disappear harmlessly"

Genma adjusted his glasses again. "The reason you must learn this technique is because it will teach you to master your own deific energy, something all God Seed possessors must do."

Ranma took a step back, keeping his guard up in case his father decided sneak attacks were fair game. "So, what? Am I going to meditate on this, or are you going to keep pumping me full of the stuff until I figure it out?"

Genma readjusted his glasses. "It is good that you are willing to do it the hard way, but we shall start with you simply meditating. There are multiple steps to this basic exercise. First, find your God Seed within yourself. Second, touch it with your Ki – and I mean _only_ touch it, don't attempt to channel Ki through it – and investigate its nature. Finally, when you have accomplished this, come find me, and I will supervise as you channel Ki through it."

"Wait, come find you? Where are you going?"

"To explain how you've come to see reason and have agreed to go on the training trip with me, of course!"

"Pops! I don't need to go see some weird old geezers just because I've got a God Seed or whatever!"

"The rituals inherent in this meeting are not simply a formality – they are a necessity to your survival! Go ask Cologne or master Happosai if you don't believe me!" And with that, Genma leaped off, leaving a grumbling Ranma to sullenly sit on the ground. _Too many new things in too short a time; I guess I'll focus on learning this new technique. That always makes me feel better. Besides, if I learn it, pops can't use it to force me to leave!_

And with that thought, Ranma closed his eyes and began exploring his body with his mind's eye.

* * *

"This is _bullshit!_"

Everyone turned away from where Genma had carried off Ranma to stare at Taro, who was fuming. He was shaking a fist at Kondi Xia Nia, who was looking back amusedly. "Exactly what are you so dissatisfied with, young... man?"

"I heard that pause! _I heard that pause!_ _Ranma's_ the faggot, not me! There's _no way_ he _magically_ gets some sort of super-hero thing – no way! This is all bullshit!"

One of Kondi Xia Nia's eyebrows rose. "I'm not sure what you are so angry about, but I assure you that it is the truth-"

"Uh-uh. Ranma get superpowers before I do? No way! We all know who's the better martial artist! At least, anyone who has real balls does!"

Kondi Xia Nia laughed. "I see! So you're jealous! That's to be expected-"

"Don't you fucking laugh at me, you fucking geezer! I'll rip your balls off and shove them up your god damn fucking- Ow! Fucking bitch!"

Kasumi had walked through the door and, somehow, spilled some hot tea onto Taro. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I just got so distracted by your language! Maybe you shouldn't swear so much?" She smiled sweetly. "I'm sure everyone will be so much happier that way!"

"Bitch!" Taro turned around and raised a fist. "I'll teach you to-"

The succeeding 'fight' took about 6 seconds. When it was over, Taro was tied up in a pound of rope, five pounds of chain, and every section of his body was discolored by bruises. He screamed, futilely, into his gag, wondering if one of his precious testicles had been broken.

"Well," Ryoga said, dusting his hands off, "I think we found someone for Ranma to test his cure on."

Mousse nodded, as did Shampoo and Ukyo. Soun, who had somehow sensed the impending violence and rushed into the room, just growled. He still held his naginata in tensed fists. He wasn't really paying attention, and seemed to be caught in some sort of fantasy – eyes vacant, he kept mumbling things about 'honor' and 'revenge'.

Ryoga looked thoughtful for a second, and then turned to Kondi Xia Nia. "Hey, I've been wondering – if Ranma managed to get a God Seed, have any of us got one too? I mean, Ranma didn't seem to notice – and while he might be a _little_ stronger than us, at least right now, we're not that far behind!"

The old man looked around the room briefly. "Well, excepting Mr. Tendo over there, none of you have a God Seed – but you're all close, I can say that. Just keep trying, and I'm sure it'll come out. It's rather impressive, really – I never thought I'd ever see such extraordinary youngsters, much less see them all in one place!"

Akane was half-listening, but then whipped around. "Wait – daddy, _you_ have a God Seed!?"

Soun broke out of his violent thoughts. "I did. But ever since your mother died it sort of withered away, and the master recently informed me that it had disappeared completely."

"Oh, I'm sorry, daddy!"

Soun smiled. "Don't worry about it, Akane. I was never that attached to the thing – I never really found opportunities to use it."

"Anyway," Ryoga said, looking impatient, "the rest of us are really close? How are we supposed to go the rest of the way?"

"That's quite simple. As I said, a God Seed is created when a large amount of Ki is expended. So just keep refining the techniques you know, and keep putting more Ki into them. The key is effort – the harder you try, the better your results."

"So, so!" Shampoo bounced over, beaming. "Old man, who closest? Who closest?"

Everyone glared at her except Kondi Xia Nia, who laughed. "My dear, is that really important to you?"

Shampoo halted, and then started smiling again. "No, not so important. Tell Shampoo who closer – Shampoo, or Spatula girl?"

Ukyo growled. "Hey!"

"Well, I think you're about the same. However..." the old man trailed off, a mischievous gleam entering his eyes. "Now that I look at you all, I'd say the boy with the headband is the closest out of you all."

Ryoga gave a toothy grin, and then frowned when everyone glared at him. "Hey, don't hate me because I'm awesome!"

Mousse was glaring the strongest. "You just have an advantage because you're the one who's learned the big depression Ki attack! It has nothing to do with skill!"

"Oh?" Kondi Xia Nia looked interested. "The Shi Shi Hokodan? Impressive that someone as young as you can pull it off, in many ways. But I assure you that it is not a matter of skill, but of effort. You all know techniques that use Ki – if you try hard enough, any technique can be used with enough Ki to produce a God Seed." He smiled. "Martial artists like yourselves should be just a step away from achieving that goal!"

Shampoo was practically bouncing. "Grandmother be so proud! Shampoo so strong, and catch _such_ strong husband!"

"As if!" Ukyo said, looking cocky. "_I'm_ the one who's going to marry him! Men like to look at bimbos like you, but they like to _live_ with woman like me!" She brushed her hair to the side, looking confident.

Shampoo glared daggers. "Spatula girl know nothing! Shampoo no bimbo, am proud Amazoness, and Airen appreciate strength! No need weak wife!"

"Are you implying that I'm _weak_? We'll see about that!"

"Hey!" Akane shouted, catching both girl's attentions. "Ranma may have faults, but _he's _still the one who's going to decide who he's going to marry!"

"Be quiet, weakling!"

"Ranma's a nice guy, Akane dear, but he's not up to making decisions like that. He'd probably choose you, for example."

Akane blushed. "Wha- what's wrong with that!?"

Ukyo sighed. "Dear, Ranma's got a hero complex – and you always need saving. Of _course_ he'd choose you. But that kind of thing doesn't make for long lasting relationships."

"Spatula girl right. Akane too weak for Airen, Airen need strong girl. Shampoo be best choice, but Shampoo admit that Airen probably be satisfied with Spatula girl. Akane, though, never satisfy."

Thanks to the combination of indignation and embarrassment, Akane was bright red. "What do you mean, I wouldn't satisfy! I'll – I'd be a great wife!"

Shampoo looked at her contemptuously. "Akane too, too weak. Too, too bad cook, and too, too much tomboy." Shampoo looked her up and down "Also, Akane too, too small chested."

"Hey," Ukyo said, "don't be so mean. It's not her fault. Some woman just look really boyish – they're just born that way."

Akane made a sound that was halfway between a growl and a parrot getting strangled. "Did you just call me _boyish!?_"

"Akane dear, it's time to face up to the facts. You're unattractive."

Ryoga whipped his head around. "Hey-"

"My daughter is _very_ attractive, and I won't let a bunch of loose hussies insult her like that!"

Ukyo and Shampoo, united, turned towards Soun, looking hostile. Akane, still blushing, gave him an outraged look as well. "Daddy! Stay out of this!"

Soun looked absolutely livid. "Absolutely not! I can take a lot, but hearing one of my beautiful daughters insulted like that is not one of them! I want you two out of my house!"

Shampoo glared, the emotions on her face dancing between pure rage and a desperate attempt to contain herself. "Shampoo is _not_ loose! Is _not_ 'hussie'!" Soun's expression wasn't changing, so she put a hand on her scimiter. "Old man take that back, or-"

A light breeze whipped past her, and Shampoo suddenly found her weapon a lot lighter. She looked down to see that the blade had been severed, and heard a loud crack from behind her. Turning around, she that one of the boulders in the garden had been cut – in half.

Soun's naginata was quivering, smoking even. "You were saying something to me?"

Shampoo blushed in shame. "Shampoo very sorry, take back insult. Very rude of Shampoo, insulting Akane in own home. Never do again." _What was I thinking!?_ _What came over me? I've _never_ been that rude before in my entire life!_

Ukyo laughed nervously. "We're _both_ very sorry, Mr. Tendo. Events have kind of... got out of control, and everyone's a little overexcited. I'm sure you can understand, given the circumstances. Please, we retract what we said. We just want to wait until Ranma comes back, so that we can know what's going on with this training trip. Will you please let us stay?"

Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo retract insult, too. Not know what came over, but Shampoo very sorry. Wish to just wait, be too, too quiet. Shampoo promise on honor of Amazons." _Or whatever's left of it, after that debacle. Grandmother is going to _kill_ me!_

Soun glared for a moment longer, and then leaned his naginata against the wall. "I accept your apology, and retract my insult as well. I, too, was caught up in the heat of the moment, and threatening my guests is an unacceptable slip. I hope you will accept my apology, as well."

He bowed deeply, and Shampoo and Ukyo returned it. Just as Soun was returning to his seat, Genma came back through the door.

"Listen," he said quickly, "Ranma has decided to go on the training trip. I talked to him, and he realized how important it was. So we'll be leaving as soon as- what the hell happened to _him_?" He pointed at Taro.

Soun slitted his eyes. "He threatened Kasumi."

Genma blinked. "Is he suicidal? Whatever. Ranma can practice on him later. Right now he's learning a special technique, so none of you can bother him, alright?"

Scoffing, Shampoo turned to face him. "Please, old man. No one fooled. Where you have Ranma tied up?"

"Ranma isn't tied up, I would never do that to him!" Genma paused. "Unless it was for his own good."

"Have you forgotten," Ryoga said to Shampoo, "that Ranma has been able to consistently beat his father up for almost half a year now? Not even catching him off guard works anymore."

Genma pouted. "I thought I told you people about how great I am!"

"And then you told us to forget about it," Ukyo said. "You can't tell us to do both! Besides, you don't honestly expect us to believe that crap, do you? You, a hundred years old? Yeah, right!"

Genma grabbed a glass of water and turned himself into a panda before shuffling off to the corner and grabbing his tire again. He pulled a sign, which read, How can you bully a cute panda!?

Ukyo rolled her eyes. "Right. Whatever. Sulk all you want, old man, Ranma isn't going on this trip with you. He's going on a trip with_me_."

Shampoo's hand went to her scimitar before she remembered that it had been destroyed. "Stupid Spatula Girl, Airen want Shampoo more than anything. Airen only too, too scared of other stupid girls – Shampoo get rid of you, Airen be free!"

Akane pulled a mallet out of thin air. "Ranma has the right to decide who he can marry! That's why he's staying here, in my home, where he's uninfluenced by any of you hags!"

"Hags, is it now!? Lets take this outside, Akane dear, so your father won't try to protect you again!"

"Fine with me! I don't need my father to protect me, I can take care of myself!"

"When Shampoo get rid of you, Airen be too, too grateful!"

Ryoga sighed. _How come the girls go wild over Ranma, and not me?_ It wasn't fair. Aside from the occasional pig-loving, well, to be honest, weirdo, no one had even the slightest of interests in him. It really wasn't fair!

He opened his mouth, and then realized he was going to launch into his refrain again and stopped himself.

_I need to do something about that._

* * *

The St. Bacchus School for Girls was, all things considered, a very dangerous place. Most schools designed by and operated for the rich were, but St. Bacchus' wasn't just _any_ private school – it was a private school in _Nerima_. This meant that the students, while they still held the arrogant attitudes and political power that other rich students had, were also trained in a variety of martial arts. Why Nerima brought about such desires in parents was unknown, but most people called it a tradition and left it at that.

Mary Angelus was not from Nerima. She wasn't from Japan. She wasn't even rich. How she had ended up in St. Bacchus' was beyond her, but apparently they'd sponsored some sort of scholarship program. Her parents, still living in California, had jumped at the opportunity to send their daughter to a prestigious private school, even if it was in Japan, and Mary had promptly been shipped into a strange country where she didn't speak the language.

That hadn't lasted long, though. She'd gotten that scholarship for a reason, and not only was she smart, she had an incredible talent for languages. It had taken her about half a year to pretty much master Japanese; in the two years since she'd left America, she'd also mastered Chinese and Korean. She'd already known French and Russian, and she was learning German in her free time now.

Smart or not, though, St. Bacchus' was a deathtrap if you didn't know martial arts, and she had no interest in learning them. This meant that she did a lot of running, hiding, and practiced a very specific schedule that avoided the other girls. Her blond hair and tall stature made her stand out, and rich people didn't like you standing out.

So far she'd made it. She'd gotten in scrapes once or twice, but managed to talk her way out of them. The other girls resented her intelligence and relatively exotic looks, but she had gotten good at staying out of their way, and most generally considered it too much trouble to try and track her down. The ones who thought it was, she knew well enough to never encounter.

Or so she thought, until she walked around a corner and found herself in the middle of Kima's posse.

* * *

Kodachi was in a foul mood. The teachers had decided that she'd skipped school too many times, and that she'd have to repeat a grade. They'd been very adamant about it, too; Kodachi was going to have to get them fired before she could repeal their decision, and getting six teachers fired at once was a difficult, and expensive, task. Normally money wasn't a problem, but this would require no normal bribe. She'd have to get pretty much every official in the school on the side, and the officials in this school considered amounts in the tens of thousands a joke.

She sighed. Her monthly allowance wasn't going to cut it.

She was, currently, on her way to the gymnasium, to work off some steam. Well, _technically_ she was going to class, but since she had every intention of pummeling the teacher into a quivering wreck, she doubted she'd get any credit for it. Not that credits mattered; all her important studies were home schooled, like any self-respecting aristocrat nowadays.

To her surprise, she nearly walked right into a scuffle going on at the corner of the building. She quickly recognized Kima and the rest of her disgusting gang, but it took her a little longer to realize it was the Mouse that was the target of their violence.

She smiled. Work off steam and get _praised_ for it? What more could a Kuno ask for?

She opened up by tossing a baton at one of Kima's minions. To her surprise the troglodyte wasn't even able to dodge, and received a square blow to the head that promptly knocked her unconscious. The group let go of the Mouse and turned to face Kodachi, their ugly faces marred even further by anger.

Kima was the leader, and she made this apparent in the way she walked and talked. She was, by far, the ugliest girl Kodachi had ever been cursed to see. She was mannish to an extreme, with unkempt hair, rough skin, and a body odor that matched even Ranma-sama's after a long fight. All her subordinates were of a similar constitution, though to a lesser extent. The group practiced karate, and used it to steal money from the weak and helpless, like the Mouse. This disgusted Kodachi; what kind of Nerima aristocrat was unoriginal enough to use _karate_, of all things!?

Today, though, Kima was in top form. Kodachi could do little more than stare in horror. It took a supreme effort of will to stammer out her question.

"Is, is that a _beard!?_"

Kima shoved out her chin forcefully. "That's right! It's proof of how strong I am! Now men have _nothing_ on me!"

Kodachi fought the desire to run away. _I am a Kuno, nothing can break my iron determination. Nothing can scare me. I must not fear. Fear is the pride-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total shame. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass around me and away from me. And when it has gone past I will focus my inner eye solely on my goal. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only total, unbreakable, unshakable confidence will remain._

Feeling better, she did what generations of Kuno woman had done in the face of the inferior scum that inhabited the earth: she laughed maniacally.

Kima didn't take this too well. Growling, she seemed to remember that one of her subordinates had been attacked and knocked unconscious. "You're going to regret doing that to Bura!"

"Bura?" Kodachi asked in a mocking tone. "I'm sorry, I thought her name was_Buta _(pig). I can't _stand_ pork, you see, so I get rid of it whenever I can." A complete lie – she liked pork, actually – but Kunos didn't have to be held to the same standards of truth that commoners did, so it was all right.

Kima charged forward, swinging her fists like an amateur. Her underlings followed, but it made no difference to Kodachi; a razor ring, two spiked clubs, and a ribbon later, six unconcious creatures that she hesitated to call 'women' were laying on the ground.

Kodachi turned towards the Mouse, who was leaning against the wall. She'd taken a few punches from the thuggish monsters, and was breathing heavily. Turning distrustful eyes towards Kodachi, she grated out, "Why did you save me?"

Kodachi gave another laugh, this one less maniacal and more humored. "I see that the Mouse's reputation for her intelligence is well earned! Indeed, a noble such as I has no obligation to save a commoner, but I chose to do it nonetheless. Truly, I would have done it regardless of your peril; those brutes needed a beating."

The Mouse smiled wryly. "That's very true. They can't possibly get any uglier, so you've only made the world more beautiful with your heroics."

Kodachi laughed again. "The Mouse is a poor name for one with such talent at complimenting their betters! Perhaps you would like 'of the Silver Tongue' added to your title? I can arrange such a thing quite easily."

The Mouse scowled. "I dislike that name. It makes me seem like a coward, when I'm just smart enough to avoid danger."

Kodachi snapped her fingers. "Then you will no longer be called that! From now on, you will be known as..." She paused, stumped.

"My name is Mary Angelus; that'll work just fine."

Kodachi frowned. "That's boring. No, you shall be known as... the Ferret!"

Mary cringed. "Please, no! That's even worse!"

"The Minx?"

"That makes me sound like a slut!"

Kodachi glared. "The Toad, perhaps?"

Mary matched her glare. "I am _not_ becoming your toy for the day! Mary is perfectly fine!"

Sniffing, Kodachi turned away. "As you wish. You shall be known by your true name from this day forth."

Mary sighed. "Look, I'm glad that you're being so nice to me, but I have no intention of owing you any debts. What can _I_ do to repay this dual kindness?"

Kodachi put her finger to her face, pondering. "Well, I have always been taught that a Kuno must know what the commoners are thinking. Why don't you share some of your 'commoner wisdom'? I am interested how someone of your station thinks."

Mary raised an eyebrow, but looked used to the situation. "If I remember correctly, you're the girl who's always skipping class to chase after some guy, right?"

"Ah, it seems like the my reputation for persistence has spread far and wide!"

"Hardly. Your reputation for _insanity_ is more accurate."

"The Kunos have always been misunderstood. To correct the stupid is a task beyond even my noble heritage, so I simply ignore such base rumors."

Mary shook her head. "You wanted 'commoner wisdom'? I'll give it to you. I've seen the other suitors this Ranma has, and they all seem pretty intense. The only one who's ahead? That Akane girl, the one he's living with – the one he has a normal relationship with."

Kodachi frowned. "What are you getting at?"

"What I'm getting at," Mary said as she rolled her eyes, "is that this Ranma character obviously appreciates a normal relationship – a 'common' relationship. If you're so gung-ho about getting this guy, why don't you try that approach?"

Kodachi stood up straight, indignant. "A Kuno would never be so base! My romance will be a _noble_ romance, and nothing less!"

"Not even if it will never work? Think about it. The best way to get this Ranma to like you is to make him accustomed to your presence – so that he's off guard. That way, when you try to seduce him, he'll be far more susceptible."

"You seem knowledgeable about such things."

"I'm an American. We're far more open about these kind of things back at home."

Kodachi ruminated on the what Mary was saying, and realized that there may, indeed, be a grain of truth. More than a grain, in fact; what this girl was saying might very well be the key to Ranma's heart! "How do you suggest I go about this?"

Mary blinked, and the shrugged. "I don't know. Get time with him when the others aren't around, but do whatever it takes to stay with him. You know, just do whatever he wants to do."

A gleam entered Kodachi's eyes. "I see. I see! How could I not see this before? Truly, the wisdom of the commoners is not something to be shrugged aside!" Imperiously, she placed a hand on Mary's shoulder. "You have proven your worth. From now on, you will by my Advisor of Love, with all the benefits such a connection to the Kuno family entails!"

Mary backed away, holding her hands up. "Um, you know, I'd love to, but I'm already an Advisor of Love for three other people. Really. Can't fit any more into my schedule."

"The Kuno family rewards those who serve it. An Advisor is an honorable position; you can expect something around, oh, 200,000 yen a week."

"On the other hand, I can manage. I'm happy to be of service!"

Kodachi nodded. "I'm sure we will have a beneficial relationship. Now, I must be off, to instigate this new Plan of Love on Ranma!" With a twirl and a cloud of black rose petals, Mary was alone.

_Wow,_ she thought, _I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. On one hand, lots of money. Money is always good. On the other, working for a Kuno. Kunos aren't so good. There are always the other rivals, though. I could sell them love advice too, if I worded it well. They seem like they need it really badly._

Then she remembered what had happened to the last person to betray Kodachi. A pewter statue of the girl had been mysteriously donated to the school; screaming, it looked like it was being burned alive. No one had ever directly accused Kodachi of anything – but then, after that incident, no one accused Kodachi of _anything_ directly.

Yep, staying on Kodachi's good side was definitely the way to go. She was lucky she was getting paid; Kodachi could have just pressured her into doing it, and there would have been little she could have done.

For her own sake, Mary hoped her advice would work.

* * *

Normally, when Ranma was meditating, he carefully kept his outward senses on high alert, in case anyone tried to attack. However, this light, cursory meditation had proven to be insufficient in his quest to find his 'God Seed'. He had been forced to abandon caution and sink deep into a trance, and he was occasionally breaking out of it to make sure no one was doing anything funny.

So his worst fears were confirmed when he opened his eyes, and found Kodachi starring directly at him from about a foot away.

He didn't move. This wasn't because he thought he was in danger; rather, he was so tired of being paralyzed that he'd rather live with the illusion that it was his _choice_ to stay still, and not something forced onto him by this harpy. He found that he could talk; this was normal for Kodachi's paralysis potions and attacks, and he casually began speaking.

"So, Kodachi." She was sitting right in front of him, doing absolutely nothing but examine him. "Is there something on my face? Was I drooling?" He laughed, his voice taut with tension. "I'd wipe it, but, uh, I can't move right now. Yes. Because of my meditation."

Kodachi seemed unfazed. "What are you mediating about, Ranma-sama?"

_This is weird. Kodachi is never _inactive_. What the hell's going on?_ "About, uh, complicated martial artist stuff. You wouldn't understand."

This elicited a response. Kodachi stood up, anger combining with pride to make her eyes cold. "How dare you! I am a martial artist as well!"

Ranma backtracked rapidly. "But, uh, you know, you use more tricks than anything else. You're a good fighter, yeah, but it's not really a martial art if it doesn't involve self-exploration, you know?"

Kodachi flinched. "You, you really think that, Ranma-sama? That I'm not really a martial artist?" Her tone was almost hurt. This produced an almost instinctual response from Ranma – apologize.

"Hey, look, I'm not trying to insult you, okay? I mean, not everyone is a martial _artist_, you know. It's fine being just martial, I, uh, guess. I mean, uh, oh damn. I have no idea what I'm trying to say. Look, you don't have to meditate to have self worth."

Kodachi still looked genuinely pained by Ranma's words. "But you do if you want to be a martial artist, is that what you're saying?"

"Look, Kodachi, it's not a _meditation_ thing. It's a _self reflection_ thing. Anyone can learn to hit someone else. But to truly be a martial artist, you have to advance not only your body, but your mind as well. Otherwise, what use is having the ability to hurt if you don't know who _to_ hurt?" Ranma was feeling far more confidant in what he was saying; he was now on territory that his father had covered with him as a child.

Kodachi looked stunned. "I see. With power – comes responsibility!"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I guess you could sum it up like that."

Kodachi launched herself at Ranma, forcing him to roll backwards and, to his surprise, find that he wasn't paralyzed. "Oh, Ranma-sama, you are truly a noble person, you are truly a fit consort for a Kuno!"

Ranma was now operating under another instinctual response: avoid physical contact with females, so that other females won't kill you. Panicking, both from the close contact and the strange behavior of Kodachi, he tried to find a handhold to pry her off him – and to his surprise, she quickly backed off.

"I am sorry, Ranma-sama, I forgot myself. Please forgive my forwardness." She then bowed.

Ranma was starting to think he was losing his grip on reality. He pinched himself, and cursed when he didn't wake up. "What's up with you, Kodachi? You're acting... weird."

Kodachi smiled. "My Advisor of Love has told me to avoid alienating you, and instead do only as you want. It is my sincere wish that you will be accustomed to my presence without the aid of paralysis powders."

This was too much for Ranma. Kodachi, acting somewhat like a normal person? _No one_ in Ranma's life acted like a normal person! And Advisor of Love? What kind of weird parallel universe had he fallen into? Closing his eyes shut tight, he focused all his energy on clearing his mind of the shock that this was bringing.

And, accidentally, found his God Seed.

Spontaneously, he turned into a she. Ranma opened her eyes again in shock, and looked at Kodachi – who was glaring at her.

"What have you done with Ranma-sama, you wench!?"

Ranma groaned. "Look, Kodachi? I've given up on trying to tell you the truth, but could you at least get it into your head that I have _no_ interest in, uh, Ranma? Can't you, uh, tell we're related?"

Kodachi smirked. "As if such small barriers could stop Ranma's pure masculine appeal from charming you!"

Repelled, Ranma moved to back away – and found himself male again. Kodachi looked with glee, but Ranma changed again. Kodachi started glaring again but there was a shadow of doubt – of understanding. The very idea of Kodachi _figuring out his curse_shocked Ranma once again, and he found himself, once again, male.

Kodachi was now starting to look with horror, and this caused Ranma to switch again. He couldn't seem to stop – back and forth, male to female, female to male. He was starting to create a small tornado with the rapid changes in mass and volume. Kodachi put her hand to her mouth, and to his amazement Ranma could see _understanding_ there.

Finally, Ranam managed to stop the transformations, and she put a hand to her forehead. "Oh, geez, that's given me a _mother_ of a headache!" Looking up at Kodachi, he was confused at her expression. It didn't seem to be horror, or revulsion, or anything he could really place. "So. Kodachi. You, uh, get it now? That I change into a girl?"

Kodachi nodded. "You and the pig-tailed girl are one and the same?" There was a quaver to her voice. Ranma nodded, and Kodachi fell to her knees. "Oh, what a fool I have been! To think – I have been treating your girl form like an enemy, when I should have been making every attempt to seduce you in that form as well!

Ranma nodded. "Yes, as you can- wait, what?" He froze for a second. "WHAT!?"

Kodachi got down and crawled over Ranma seductively, giving Ranma a good view of her assets. To her shame, Ranma found herself slightly aroused. "I've spent my entire life at girl-only schools, Ranma-chan. You think I'm not prepared for such things? That I haven't considered it?" She smiled, the smile of a predator when the prey had no escape. "I am a _Kuno_, Ranma dearest. Kunos don't obey the laws of society – we defy them, and are stronger for it. I am perfectly capable of being attracted to a girl." She giggled, managing to add a maniacal tilt to even that. "Rather, I _am_ attracted to a girl - _you_."

_Woah. WOAH_. Ranma's mind was starting to shut down, as hormones, fear, and shock fought a three way battle for control of his body. _This is _weird_! I'm getting seduced _as_a girl, _by_ a girl! And it's _working

Kodachi suddenly blinked, and then backed off. "Oh, dear. I'm breaking my new rule. No matter; I have much to do. Informing my dear brother of this turn of events will certainly break his affection for your girl form; he was not raised as openly as I was. He already has his obsession with the flat-chested Akane, so he will recover perfectly well." Kodachi pulled out her ribbon and began twirling it around her as black rose petals went flying. "Ranma dearest! We will meet again, and I would very much like it if I could see what kind of life you lead when not pursued!" And with her trademark laugh, she disappeared.

Ranma sat, stunned. It took her about five minutes to realize her arousal wasn't going away. It took her about ten to figure out that Kodachi had slipped her something while she was meditating. _Augh! What the hell am I going to do now!?_

Slowly and carefully, Ranma got to her feet. She shamefully made her way towards the public restroom that was nearby. _I'm a man! I should be in control of myself, not forced to find... release, in a public restroom! This is embarrassing!_

It was only after she had pulled her pants off and sat down on the toilet did Ranma realize that she _wasn't_ a man. She pulled out her thermos of hot water and poured it on herself.

Nothing happened.

"Oh,_shit_."


	3. Drugging your love is fun and easy!

A note on the Chinese names: I find it far more immersing if the Chinese characters think of their names in Chinese, not the humorous variants that the Japanese charactes use. Since this can get confusing, here are their equivalents - at least, in my story.

Mousse: Muu Suu  
Shampoo: Xian Puu  
Cologne: Ku Lon  
And if you hadn't guessed it: Kondi Xia Nia: Conditioner

This is chapter 3, version 2.

* * *

When Genma had finally had enough of being ignored by every martial artist of merit in Nerima, and been bored stiff by their infantile attempts to prove how much more _they_ deserved Ranma, he decided to go see how Ranma was doing. They didn't even blink an eye when he walked out of the room; that was how little respect he had!

Sometimes, Genma thought he'd be better off making a living as a thief. More so than he did, anyway. People always respected you if you had money. But no, he was a martial artist, and a role model for his boy. He couldn't just steal for his own personal benefit. When they were starving? Yes. When he'd spent everything on drink? Sure, a man needed escape. But just for cash? No. He had to draw the line_somewhere_.

Maybe it could be a _dotted_line. One that he could cross over once in a while.

He quickly arrived at the empty lot he'd left Ranma in, and to his surprise he found a girl Ranma sitting there, extreme focus on her face. A little bit _too_ extreme, actually. "Are you alright, Ranma? Why are you a girl?"

Ranma's eyes snapped open, and she tensed her body. "Oh, please, you've got to help me! Kodachi was here, and she slipped me some sort of, of, aphrodisiac, like Viagra or something! And now I'm stuck as a girl and it's getting worse and worse! Please, help me!"

Genma took a step back. "What? You're stuck as a girl?"

Ranma nodded rapidly. "Yes, stuck! I accidentally activated my God Seed, I think, and I kept switching between being a girl and a boy, and Kodachi finally figured out my curse, and she tried to seduce me_anyway_, and I got, uh, well, you know, anyway, she did that, and now it's not going away and I can't switch back and you have to _help_ me, Daddy!"

There was a pause as they both digested what Ranma had just said, and then Ranma started crying. "Oh, god, it's starting. I'm becoming girly! What am I supposed to do, Da- pops!? You're the experienced one, right!? Tell me how to fix this!"

Genma stood very still. This whole God Seed business had caught him a little off guard. He'd known that Ranma would eventually develop one, of course, and since he himself had been twenty three when he'd gotten one, it wasn't that surprising for Ranma to develop one now – but he hadn't been expecting it. He had been looking forward to it, really, to see his son become the true martial artist that he could never be, but then Jusenkyo had interfered, and now his son was no longer just his son. You didn't argue with this kind of magic; it would warp the very fabric of reality to fulfill its purpose, and there was nothing one could do about it. Ranma would be manly as a man, and womanly as a woman, and Genma could do nothing about it.

And it was all his fault, his Seed's fault. There was nothing,_ nothing,_ that Genma was more ashamed of than his God Seed. And now it had corrupted his son.

Screw his pride. Screw his dreams. Ranma needed help, and there was only one person who could give it. She wouldn't like it; _Ranma_ would probably die first; but it needed to be done.

"Ranma," Genma said slowly, "we need to go see your mother."

Ranma's face turned white. "No," she whispered, and then shouted. "No! You have to _help_ me, Daddy! Don't do this to me!"

Genma shook his head. "Ranma, there's no getting around it. You're going to have to be a ma- I mean, suck it up and deal with this change in your life. Your mother's the only one who can help you right now."

Before Ranma could say anything more, Genma grabbed her and literally _flew_ towards Nodoka's house. It was normally a thirty minute drive, but in a moment of panic he'd probably regret he used the Manta Style Jet Step and made it there in a minute. The sonic boom would get attention he didn't want, but, right now, Ranma took priority. He'd trick the bo- the gir- whatever, he'd get Ranma to deal with any challengers that came. It'd be good training.

Knocking quickly and then opening the door, Genma strode into the house. Nodoka was arranging some flowers, and nearly knocked them over as Genma quickly placed Ranma into a seat, grabbed Nodoka's arm, and pulled her into an adjoining room.

"Look," he said, his tone hurried panicky, "This is going to come as a shock, but Ranma needs you to believe what I'm going to say, alright?" When Nodoka nodded dazedly, Genma continued. "You know how I have that God Seed thing? Ranma's developed one too – but because of his curse, it got messed up. Now the magic of Jusenkyo is incorporated into him, and he's never getting cured again. More than that, he's going to be forced to be girly when he's in his girl form. Please, _please_ believe me when I say there is _nothing_that can be done to change this!"

Nodoka nodded, but frowned. "Alright, I see. We'll have to talk about exactly _who_ is responsible for this situation, but I'll trust your word in this."

Genma tensed. This was going to be difficult. "He's still figuring out his God Seed, and accidentally got himself trapped as a girl for the moment. I could teach him to reverse it, but that takes time – and he doesn't have that."

Nodoka looked worried. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"Um..."

"Don't you _dare_ try and hide this! Ranma looked _terrible!"_

Genma sighed. "Well, you see, one of his suitors slipped him a, well, an aphrodisiac."

Nodoka turned pale. "You, you mean like Viagra?"

"Yes. Like Viagra."

"And he-"

"She, right now."

"She can't switch back to being a man right now."

"That's right."

"And I assume she can't just ignore it."

"That's right."

"So you brought her here."

"Yes."

"To me."

"Right."

"And you expect me to...?"

Genma prayed in his head. "Help her, um, deal with it."

"As her mother."

"Yes."

Nodoka took a deep breathe. "I see. Alright, go and send her in here. And then vacate the premises."

Genma blinked. "What? Why-"

"_No buts! You out! Ranma in! Now!_"

Genma shot out, grabbed Ranma, and practically shoved her through the door. Then he got out of that house as fast as he possibly could.  
One didn't argue with Nodoka when she used _that_ tone.

* * *

Ranma cowered as he found herself in her mother's bedroom, facing her mother, who was wearing a strained, but motherly, expression. "Uh, what's happening?"

"Ranma, dear," Nodoka said calmly. "I've been informed of your situation. So I'm going to help you deal with it, alright?"

Ranma backed away. "Oh, no, there's no need for that, I'm, uh, I'm fine. Really."

Nodoka smiled. "You don't have to pretend, dear. I'm a woman; I can see the signs. Not that I've ever heard of a woman taking a stimulant like that, but that's not important."

Ranma tried to say something back, but thinking was getting pretty difficult. Her hormones were kind of taking over.

"Now, I don't have any appropriate books for you to look at, so I'll have to talk you through this. Why don't you go into the bathroom? I can explain it to you through the door.

Ranma did as she was asked, and then Nodoka started explaining how the female body worked.

What followed was, without doubt, the most embarrassing thing Ranma had ever done in her entire life.

* * *

Half an hour later, Genma watched his, his daughter walk through the door._The sooner I adjust to this new reality, the faster Ranma can get more comfortable with it._ Ranma looked thoroughly humiliated, and had a hard time meeting Genma's face. There was an awkward silence as neither person said anything.

The first to speak was Ranma. "You never, _ever_ speak about this, okay? Or I kill you."

Genma nodded. "Absolutely."

There was a further silence, and then Ranma leaned into him. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"You have to adapt."

"Adapt?" Ranma sounded very tired. "I always adapt. That's what the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts tells me how to do. But I don't think I can manage it this time."

Genma placed a hand on his... daughter's head. "You won't have to. It's magic; you'll adapt no matter what you do. Believe me, I've been affected with magic before, and you can't fight it. Not stuff this strong. So just let it happen, and you'll be fine."

Ranma glared upwards. "How can you be so easy-going about this? Weren't you trying to use my manhood to earn yourself an easy retirement? And since when were you such a caring father?"

Genma was still for a second, and then put an arm around Ranma and hugged her close. She resisted for a second, but not very hard. "Ranma, I've done a lot of stupid things in my life. Marry you off to a dozen different people was one of them. Getting us cursed at Jusenkyo is another. And there are a dozen others which I hope you never have to learn about. But I've done a lot of good things too, like marry Nodoka, and create you.

"I'll be blunt. Ever since you were borne, I've been hoping I could turn you into the martial artist I wasn't. My God Seed? I'm _terrified_ of it. You have no idea what kind of horrors I come up with if I don't distract myself. It's a compulsion I can't escape; no matter what I do, I'll come up with new styles. Some of them are relatively harmless, like the Umisenken and the Tente Tensou Shushou, but, without trying to, I've created moves that could literally destroy cities.

"I'm incapable of using these moves correctly. I've been ashamed of this ever since I acquired my God Seed. Now, your God Seed has budded, but it's messed up your life. My only consolation is that the magic will force you to adapt, so I'm sure you'll be fine – but it's still my fault. I don't regret the way I've raised you. You needed a tough father to prepare you for the challenges you've met. But you're, well, my daughter now, too. I'm making the effort to adapt, so that you can adapt, and a daughter requires a different kind of father. So I'll be that father."

Ranma wasn't sure what to think, how to deal with the vulnerability her father was showing. "You know, I've been changing for a while now. My girl side's become stronger, recently, even before the fight with Saffron."

"I could tell. Panda's are pretty mellow; maybe that's why I'm feeling more gentle."

Both martial artists chuckled, and then Ranma stood up straight.

"So, what now?"

"Now," Genma said, "you continue your training. We're finding a clearing, and we'll see if you can find your God Seed again."

They both took to the rooftops, Genma leading the way. "Dad-"

"Do you _really_ have to call me that?"

Ranma scowled. "It just feels right, okay? You're the one who said I shouldn't fight it."

"It's just... weird."

"You're telling _me_!"

Genma was silent for another moment. "This is... going to be harder than I thought."

"Preaching to the Choir, dad."

Do you _really_-"

"_Yes_, dad, I do! Get it through your thick skull!"

"Hmph! Arrogant child! I show a little compassion, and you think you can trod all over me! I won't make _that_ mistake again!"

Ranma grinned."I can take you any day, you old fart!"

"That's better!"

"You prefer being insulted?"

"Don't question your father!"

"Alright then – I'll beat the answer out of you!"

The two leaped through the city, sparring in mid air as they searched for a quiet spot.

* * *

Ryoga was screwed.

_Oh,_he was _so_ screwed.

He should have listened to that fortune cookie and left town. He wouldn't have been able to make it back for that meeting with the guide, but at least he wouldn't have found himself in _this_ situation. His back was to the wall, and any move would result in blood being lost. If he_didn't_ move, blood would _still_ be lost. He was screwed.

He cowered, and watched as Kodachi returned to consciousness.

She'd leaped at him from behind, and Ryoga had responded without thinking, using the Bakusai Tenketsu to soften up her initial assault. He'd caught her off guard, and the spray of earth and rock not only knocked her unconscious, but shredded her clothes as well, leaving Ryoga incapacitated. Looking at her was dishonorable, and embarrassing. Ignoring someone he had injured was dishonorable and, well, difficult in its own way. Running away was out of the question – he couldn't just leave her so vulnerable, psycho chick or not!

Yep. He was screwed.

Kodachi opened her eyes, and spotted Ryoga. Getting up shakily, she noticed her state of dress, or rather her lack of it, but seemed to pay little attention to it. She walked toward Ryoga, full of confidence, and smirked when Ryoga was unable to take his eyes off her. "Get a good look?"

Ryoga blushed. "No, I – I mean, of course- I haven't seen anything! Leave me alone, you witch! Go away!"

"You would ask me to brave the trip back to my home in such a manner of dress?"

"No! Of course not! Just, I don't know, cover yourself!" Ryoga tore about a two dozen bandannas off his head (noting that he only had about twenty left – he needed to restock), and threw them at Kodachi. He kept his eyes closed as she used them to dress herself.

"There," she said, and Ryoga open his eyes – and then closed them again. Somehow, the woman had managed to tie the bandannas around herself in such a way as to emphasize her assets. Amazingly, she looked even more erotic than before. "I think that's complete," she continued. "Now, for my original reason for coming here."

Ryoga tensed. "Are you looking for a fight?"

Kodachi laughed. "Why would I do such a ridiculous thing? I have no quarrel with you. No, I'm looking for someone of comparable skill with Ranma, so that I may learn more of this 'true' martial art he says I cannot understand."

Ryoga opened an eyelid, and immediately used a bandanna to plug the flow of blood coming from his nose. "True martial arts? What are you talking about?"

"Ranma told me that true martial artists must master the self, in addition to mastering the art of inflicting pain on others. Do you also think this is true?"

Ryoga nodded slowly. "Well, yeah. I mean, the more experienced martial art techniques require intensive control of your own life force, and you can't get that if you don't 'master the self'. It sort of comes naturally."

Kodachi crossed her arms, to Ryoga's dual regret and relief, and thought about what Ryoga had said. "I have never been taught such a thing. My lessons in the Martial Arts Gymnastics were solely on how to defeat my opponent."

"Well, you're really rich. Rich people always seem to think differently than normal people."

Kodachi laughed arrogantly. "That is indeed true! But no matter. You will teach me this 'self-exploration', and I will learn how to be a true martial artist, that I may understand my love all the better."

"What? You want me to teach you?"

Kodachi nodded. "You are a skilled martial artist, and very close to Ranma-sama. I could find no better tutor."

Ryoga wondered about that, but put it aside. _This is my chance! I've been trying to get someone to hook up with Ranma so that Akane would be free of his perversion, but it's never worked out. They're all too proud to take my help. But Kodachi's already pretty strong, even if it's half deviousness – so if I help her, she'll definitely get an edge!__But will Ranma even like her?_

_Oh well. How could it hurt?_

Ryoga would remember that thought for the rest of his life.

* * *

Muu Suu dusted his hands off and walked back into the kitchen. That was the third cook this month that he'd had to dispose off. For some reason, they all thought it was perfectly acceptable to stare at Xian Puu. Shameless Japanese men; didn't they understand that there were some things men just didn't do? Like ogle. Ogling was a sin. Hadn't Ku Lon modified the wanted ads like he had asked? He'd been shocked when he'd found out the only specification was 'man who can cook'. Really! A proper cook had a lot more qualifications. Like being hideously ugly; Muu Suu thought that was pretty important. Why were all these cooks so handsome? It wasn't fair. At least none of them were practitioners of any of the branches of Martial Arts Cooking. That would have made things more difficult.

Thinking of martial arts, though, made him think about the day's events. After Xian Puu had had her fun with the other women, leaving everyone frustrated but no one injured, Muu Suu had loyally followed her back to the Cat Cafe. Then he'd found out that it was just a normal cat that he'd been following, and he had double backed, and then gotten promptly lost. It'd taken him two hours to get back to the cafe, only to find the cook staring at Xian Puu, and that was that for that shameful pervert. Xian Puu had said that he was just asking her what the order was, but she'd been so focused on marrying Ranma lately that she'd been paying less attention to firmly rejecting all the shameful advances that Japanese men made on her. He could understand; when you were as stunning beautiful as Xian Puu was, rejecting such advances in a foreign land could be tiring. That was why Muu Suu had to take up the banner and protect her honor for her, even if she didn't want him too. Important women like Xian Puu could sometimes lose track of the small details, as they payed so much attention to the larger goal; that was where Muu Suu stepped in, and made life comfortable for her.

But now... the elder Kondi Xia Nia had said that he had a God Seed. He'd asked Ku Lon, and she'd confirmed it; both he and Xian Puu were developing these things inside of them. He still wasn't sure what they were, but he knew one thing; if Xian Puu had one, and he had one too, then it meant they were destined to be together.

Kondi Xia Nia had said that he had to practice his techniques, perfect them, put more effort and Ki into them. He wasn't on duty tonight, as after he'd taken care of the cook, Ku Lon had sighed, said they were closing early, and told Xian Puu she was going to teach her some new techniques. That meant he had time to practice his own style.

He made his way up to his room and got into a meditative stance. He hadn't needed to meditate to pull off the space folding technique in years, but tonight he was going to see his limits, test them. He'd been warned by his teacher back in China not to mess with the basics like this unless Ku Lon thought he was ready – but Muu Suu knew he was ready. Besides, if he waited for Ku Lon's approval he'd be waiting forever; she was far too focused on Ranma and Xian Puu to pay any attention to him, and rightfully so – at least, in Xian Puu's case. Ranma should just curl up and die.

Expending his Ki, Muu Suu folded the interior of his sleeves. Once, twice the space. Twice, four times the space. Thrice, eight times the space. He continued, up until his normal limit, and the normal limit for all practitioners of Dark Magic (why it was called that he had no clue, but he respected and obeyed tradition) of eight folds, leaving his sleeves holding two hundred and fifty six times the volume they normally did.

He had never attempted to fold a ninth time before. What would happen, he had no idea. Folding eight times took him almost no effort; the ninth time might be just a little bit harder.

Or it could kill him. But it was worth the effort, for Xian Puu.

Carefully, he constructed the unique 'weave' of Ki that resulted in folded space. Every time he folded, he contained the previous fold within the new one; he'd practiced long and hard to memorize exactly how much bigger eight folds were than one, so that he could properly fit the maximum amount of space in his folds no matter what clothing he was wearing. He'd made it a little smaller this time, to fit more folds in, so even when he placed the ninth fold into his sleeve, he still had room for a tenth.

Immediately he could tell that something was wrong – no, it wasn't wrong, just different. The space inside his sleeve was straining to be set free, to explode; all folds acted in such a way, but the force they put out was usually so small that it was barely noticeable. This time though, it was strong – but not insurmountably so. Focusing, Muu Suu contained the vibrating Ki weave, mastering it.

Taking a small metal baton out of his pocket, he slowly slid it into his sleeve. He could feel resistance trying to push it back out, but it was easy to overcome, and once the baton was in it remained there. Taking a deep breathe, he reached back into his sleeve, and tried to withdraw it.

Caught by surprise, he was nearly blown backwards when the baton came shooting out, going straight through the wall of his room.

Muu Suu immediately let go of the weaves, and sprinted out the door. The baton had pierced the wall of not only his room, but Xian Puu's room as well; glancing inside, he saw that it had gone through the far wall as well and continued outside. He also noticed it had disintegrated a small Ranma doll on the way, but he hardly considered that a loss.

Running outside, he was shocked to see that the baton had gone all the way across the street, and shot straight through the house there. Heading down the street, he kept an eye out for the stray weapon. To his amazement, he had to pass five houses before he found the baton embedded into a wall, smoking and discolored by its passage.

_This... may change things._

_I wonder what happens with ten folds?_

* * *

"A bacon, jalapeño, and green onion okonomiyaki, please, to go!"

"Coming right up," Ukyo said with a sigh. What was with people today? They were asking for the weirdest orders! An hour ago, someone had actually wanted horse meat. Horse meat! She didn't carry that kind of thing!

Another customer came up to order. "A turtle, cheese, and-"

"That's it!" Ukyo threw her spatula down. "Is this some kind of conspiracy? What the heck is wrong with you people!? I'm closing. All of you get out!"

The previous customer put his hand down on the counter. "Hey! I made an order-"

"You haven't payed yet, so no harm's done."

"That doesn't matter! I'm the customer, and I'm always-"

"Any more okonomiyaki I make today will be _explosive! _I'm_ serious!_"

The customer looked taken back. "What? Explosive? Do you think that's funny or something?"

Ukyo dropped a bit of her 'special sauce' into the current batch of okonomiyaki, and then tossed it into the wall, where it exploded in a bright flash and left a black circle of soot. "Any more _orders?!_"

The restaurant was promptly empty. Truth be told, the only one who had still been standing around was the customer who had been complaining. Everyone else had been regulars, and used to Ukyo's behavior when she was frustrated. This _was_ Nerima, after all.

Konatsu approached cautiously. "Is there anything wrong, Ukyo-san?"

Ukyo threw her hand up. "I just couldn't stand it anymore! I shouldn't be handling weird orders, I should be practicing my martial arts!"

She pulled out her vial of explosive sauce and stared at it. The stuff was her sole experience with Ki manipulation – everything else was just skill in cooking. So, if she really _did_ have a God Seed, she'd have to figure out a way to use her talents in... sauce creation.

Wow. How utterly _useless_.

She carefully placed the stuff into a plastic holder on the counter, and took a look at the sole remaining okonomiyaki that was still on the cooker. It had octopus, chili powder, and chocolate drops as its ingredients – possibly the worst combination that Ukyo had ever heard of.

_Father taught me never to waste food, but I can't possibly eat this_. Thinking for a second, she came to a realization. _My special sauce is normal sauce infused with Ki. What happens if I infuse something _else_ with Ki?_

Bending down, Ukyo placed the tips of her fingers in the bubbling batter. The heat didn't really bother her, and it hadn't been cooking long enough anyway, so she barely felt any pain. It was harder than she expected, as the Ki wanted to just diffuse into nothingness rather than stick to the batter, but she finally managed to make it just as her fingers reached their pain threshold. Blowing on them, she looked at her newfound creation.

It looked like a completely normal okonomiyaki.

Konasu looked down as well. "Ukyo-san? What were you trying to do?"

Ukyo sighed again. "I'm not sure, Konatsu-kun, I'm not sure." She pulled out a spatula and scooped up the failure.

Or at least, she tried to. There was a metallic ping, and Ukyo looked at her spatula. The metal head was missing.

The okonomiyaki was chewing on it.

Blinking, Ukyo tried to take the metal back. The food growled at her, and then leaped off the griddle, onto the counter. It shuffled into a corner and continued to chew, finally breaking it apart enough to swallow. Then it burped.

"Did I really see," Konatsu said timidly, "what I thought I saw?"

Ukyo nodded dumbly, and slowly approached the oknomiyaki. Putting out a hand, she placed it onto the piece of batter, and it _purred_.

_This could change things._

* * *

"Please, daddy, you _have _to teach me!"

Soun shook his head. "Absolutely not! You're not ready for it!"

Akane put her foot down hard, cracking the wood. "I am _too_ ready for it! You're just overprotective!"

"You're my baby girl; I'd never let you risk yourself like that!"

"_See_!? I'm not your baby girl, daddy, I'm _sixteen_!"

"Nonsense. You'll _always_ be my baby girl."

Akane nearly screamed. It'd been two _years_ since she'd last asked her father to really _teach_ her, instruct in the _real_ secrets of the Tendo School, but he _still_ thought she was incompetent! When Kondi Xia Nia had said that everyone in that room was developing a God Seed, she'd been so sure her father would teach her, but he was still treating her like a little girl!

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see Nabiki standing there, a deeply smug smile on her face. "What do you want?" she asked with no small amount of hostility. Today had been a bad day. Stupid pervert Ranma, being a forced to become a stupid pervert girl half the time. What was she supposed to do with a pervert like that?

_Match him perverted act for perverted act!_ The voice said to her, but she ignored it. The voice never gave good advice.

Nabiki's grin grew wider. "Is that any way to treat the sister who'd going to convince daddy to teach you?"

Soun crossed his arms. "Never! It's too dangerous!"

Nabiki yawned. "Well, if that's the way you want it. I'll just have to remind you of how dangerous what _you're_ doing is."

"Wha, what do you mean?"

"Well, all things considered, it'd be better if you taught her."

Soun looked nervous. "All things considered?"

"Yes. You know, considering the time I walked in on you, with the pink and the flowers and the rainbow garters-"

Soun was sweating, but remained adamant. "I'm not giving in on this one, Nabiki!"

"-and the two other times I've secretly videotaped it, and the three internet publishers that owe me favors-"

Soun looked considerably less confidant. "You, you're bluffing. You'd never do that to your own father."

"-and then there's the whole _Tetodo Koun_ buisness."

Soun froze. "How," he said in a small voice, "do you know that name?"

Nabiki's eyes glittered. "I was looking through the bills one day, and saw one for Tetodo Koun. After you took one look at it and nearly wet your pants, I did some investigating. A few compared pictures later, I realized that daddy hadn't always been who he said he'd been. To think, this Tetodo Koun was a member of the Naked Day Flashers-"

Soun laughed. "You know, maybe Akane's ready to learn the advanced techniques of the Tendo School of Martial Arts. You're absolutely right Nabiki, I should teach her, it's the right thing to do."

"I'm sure it is, daddy. And I'm sure we'll have a nice long talk about my allowance later, too." Nabiki walked out the door, and gave a wink to Akane. "Have fun!"

Akane starred as she left, and then turned her gaze to Soun. "Naked Day Flashers?"

Soun continued to sweat. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Now! Let's learn those techniques!"

Abruptly, Soun walked out the door as well, and Akane followed. When they had reached the dojo Soun stopped, and turned to face her.

"The basis of the Tendo school is what is known as the Soul Weapon. It is a weapon that you literally create with Ki; for each person it is different, although a person's Soul Weapon can change over time. It is a difficult thing to learn, so you must be patient."

Akane frowned. "A weapon created with Ki? You mean like this?" She pulled her hammer out of thin air.

Soun gaped. "Wha-but-how, how did you learn that?!"

"It just seemed like an extension of the basics you taught me when I was a kid. I figured out how to do this three years ago. I've been doing it all the time for _years _now! What did you _think_ I was doing?"

"I, I thought you were hiding it on your person."

"A _hammer!?_"

"I don't question my little girls."

Akane rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm not hiding it. I create it with my Ki."

Soun trembled. "I, I see. But, but, does it have to be a _hammer_?"

Akane frowned. "What's wrong with hammers?"

"Tendos have used spears for generations! _Never_ has a Tendo had a blunt weapon as a Soul Weapon!"

Bristling, Akane shook her weapon at him. "This is my Soul Weapon, so get used to it!"

_And if he doesn't listen, hit him over the head with it! Rapidly!_

_Shut up,_ Akane thought back.

_And if _that_ doesn't work, you can flash him! That'll get his attention!_

_Shut up, inner manifestation of Ranma!_

_I'm not a manifestation of anything, I'm _you!

_Silence! Ranma's the pervert, not me!_

Akane shook her head. "Look, you're teaching me, alright? So teach me!"

Soun looked torn, but bowed his head. "Fine. I'll teach you. The, the next step, after creating the Soul Weapon, is adapting the Soul Weapon to the situation. If you focus your Ki, you can change your weapon. Try it now. It doesn't matter what you change it into, just try to change it."

Akane focused, and her hammer darkened, looked less wooden and more stony. It wasn't strictly one material or the other, but rather a mix between the two.

Soun nodded. "Good. Now, I need you to... make a very small hammer. As small as you can manage."

Akane tried to compress her hammer, and found it fairly difficult. It was probably no less than 90 of its previous size. Soun wasn't disappointed, though, and continued to instruct her. For the first time in a long while, Akane felt like she was really learning something of value, something that really mattered. She couldn't help but smile.

_This is going to change things._

_Yes! More flashing!_

_Shut up, Ranma!_

* * *

Taro glowered. Not at anyone in particular, just at the world. Even if anyone else was in the closet with him, he wouldn't have been able to glower at them; his head wasn't capable of turning with all the chain wound around his neck.

He'd get his revenge. All it would take would be one drop of water, and he'd be free – free, and strong enough to defeat anyone. Screw this whole God Seed business, that bastard old man was obviously lying. No way Ranma would get something like that.

He tried to growl, to soothe his mood, but the gag kind of ruined it – all that came out was a strangling sound. Kind of fitting, considering how tight the chains around his neck were.

Oh yes, he'd get his revenge.

And hopefully a new testicle. They could fix that nowadays, right?

Right?

* * *

Kondi Xia Nia stood on the rooftop, pointing his camera towards Happosai, who was rapidly leaping from roof to roof, grabbing lingerie on his way. It was rather amazing, really. He couldn't detect any Ki, life force, or even deific energy coming out of the little old man – and detecting things was Kondi Xia Nia's specialty.

He pulled out a tape recorder. "Gentlemen," he dictated into it, "I am proud to say that I have been able to approach Happosai's area of operation with little hindrance. The local martial artists have taken to me rather well, and Happosai is either unaware of my presence or doesn't care. Either way, I am getting wonderful footage of his activities. Let me remind you that the camera I am using is an energy-detecting model; that Happosai emits no aura of any kind is very impressive."

He leaped forward, following Happosai at a safe distance. "I think it is important to make a note here of how impressive said locals are. I met the majority of them, along with a few foreigners, and I am entirely serious when I say that _all_ of them are developing God Seeds. Ranma may have been the first, but he will not be the last, and Jusenkyo magic or not, I can't say with any certainty that he will be the most powerful. The martial artists here come from many, many different backgrounds, including a pair of Amazons, male and female.

"It is possible that this high concentration might not be coincidental. As I'm sure you all know, Cologne has never revealed exactly how strong she is, and she is a master of a variety of magics; attracting those with potential might very well be within her grasp. It would not be the first time an Amazon has employed such methods, ban on the practice or not. One of the developing God Seeds here might contain such a power as well, and the user might be employing it without knowledge."

Kondi Xia Nia paused. "I seem to have lost sight of the target. This ends tonight's hunt, and thus the recording. I hope that you will be-"

Suddenly and without warning, Kondi Xia Nia found his legs falling from under him, and rolled down the roof he had been perched on. Quickly recovering, he found Happosai standing in front of him, holding both recorder and camera in his hands.

"How fascinating!" Happosai chuckled, and slipped the instruments into his gi. "Technology is so interesting these days, but I'm surprised to see someone like you making use of it. _I_certainly wouldn't make use of such toys to do _real _work!"

Kondi Xia Nia gave a false grin as he looked for an escape route, just in case things turned ugly. He harbored no illusions about his abilities when confronted with the Demon of Lust. "No harm was done, eh, Happosai? I'll let you keep them, a gift from a guest on your territory."

Happosai just laughed. "Territory? Do you old fogies still think in terms of ownership? I'm just here to have fun; I'm not making any_claims_." He tapped his pipe. "I'll still accept the gifts, though. I'm fond of toys."

"So, you wouldn't mind if I stayed in town for a while?"

Happosai kept on grinning, but it was a cold one now, with little humor. "Oh, sure, go ahead. But don't think you can get your claws into anyone here. I may not be claiming anything here, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go and let _you_ people claim anything either. So run along now, youngster. Play your little games. But as soon as you step out of line..."

Happosai disappeared, and Kondi Xia Nia didn't need to look to know he was behind him; he wasn't bothering to hide his aura now.

"As soon as you step out of line," Happosai repeated in a low whisper, "it's _game over_."

Kondi Xia Nia nodded, and Happosai was gone. Letting out the breath he'd been holding, Kondi Xia Nia pressed a small button through his clothes.

"As you just heard, gentlemen, Happosai is as ornery as ever. I advise caution in any moves made here. I'll send the report shortly, and then take my customary leave of absence for my own personal reasons."

Releasing the button, Kondi Xia Nia reached into his pocket to pull out his half-written report – only to find a piece of woman's underwear there instead. He sighed.

_Things are going to change around here. And if I have any say in the matter, I won't be here when they do._


	4. Pandas make poor taskmasters

Chapter 4, here we go! Wheee!!!

* * *

"Faster. Faster!" Genma shook his finger at Ranma. "Are you a man, or a girl!?"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "A girl, idiot! We're trying to fix that, remember!?"

"Oh. Right." Genma put a hand to the bridge of his nose. "This isn't easy for me, Ranma. I never asked for a daughter, you know."

"I never asked for a deadbeat father, either, but I've still got one."

"Give your father some respect! You think being a girl would _help _that!"

"A deadbeat father is a deadbeat father, no matter who's looking at it!"

"I said _faster_, not _stop_! Keep on channeling!"

Ranma growled, but complied. As soon as they'd found a place to practice, the softer side of Genma had disappeared, and the taskmaster of old had returned, along with the habitual insults. With guidance, though, it hadn't taken long for Ranma to find her God Seed – but that hadn't solved her problem. It appeared her sex change had been a fluke, and it would take a lot more effort to do it at will.

Genma was now training him to channel deific energy faster. This wasn't particularly difficult, but Genma wasn't looking like he would be satisfied by anything but perfection; Ranma had been channeling for three days now, could channel the energy in less than a second, but Genma wanted more. He wanted Ranma to be able to do it reflexively, without thinking about it. Ranma had complained about how such skill usually came to her as she trained with more complex techniques, but Genma had insisted.

The act of channeling was simple, really. Her Seed was a sort of lump that sat in the center of her stomach, and to create deific energy Ranma moved normal Ki through it. The problem was aiming the Ki, as finding something inside of you, even if you had found it before, was, ironically, much, much harder than finding something outside of you. Even if she found it, keeping her focus there was difficult, and required a lot of concentration.

Once again Ranma channeled the energy, as fast as she could manage, and then released the energy into the air. Hanging onto it was impossible; one couldn't store deific energy. Or so Genma had told him, and he sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

"Faster!" Genma was walking around Ranma in a circle, waving a stick in the air. How such conducting was going to make him want to work harder Ranma didn't know, but Genma was doing it with enthusiasm.

"I'm doing it as fast as I can!" Ranma was sweating now, as she poured more and more Ki into her Seed. There wasn't that much deific energy actually being produced; most of her Ki was being used to accelerate the process. She wasn't having much success, but she couldn't think of anything else to try. "Don't you have any hints you could give me, or something? I feel like I'm missing something here."

Genma shook the stick; a leaf fell off and floated into Ranma's face, where it stuck. "I already told you to let if flow. Ki is like water, and you have to let go where it wants."

Ranma tried to blow the leaf off while maintaining her focus. "But if I do that, it's slow as hell! Can't I just let it build up pressure, or something?"

"That's an advanced technique, and unsuited for the purposes of channeling in the first place. Treat it like water!" Genma swung his stick again, to emphasize his point. "Water!"

Ranma flung his head to the side in a desperate attempt to get the leaf off, and to her relief, succeeded. "Could you stop swinging that damn thing? You're acting like Kuno – Tatewaki, that is." She giggled. "He's the Blue Thunder, you're the Yellow Flash! It all makes sense now!"

"Arrogant boy! Don't compare me to a Kuno!"

"I'm a girl," Ranma said half-heartedly, but her concentration failing. "You sound like you know the Kunos."

"Don't stop channeling!" Genma fiercely pointed his stick, and then turned around, away from Ranma. "Kunos are nothing but trouble. You may think their history as a family is disturbing, but their history as God Seed users is even worse."

Gawking, Ranma lost all pretenses of training. "The Kunos have a history of God Seeds!?"

Genma nodded. "Indeed they do. Many families do, actually; modern times have left martial arts less important, so the lines are dying out, but the Kunos have kept up the tradition. Not that they need to; the only person to ever develop a God Seed without being a martial artist was a Kuno."

"Really? How'd they do that?"

"He was a rock star; apparently he was putting Ki into his instrument without thinking. Ironically, his God Seed gave him the ability to turn his music into a deadly sonic weapon."

"A rock star? Have I heard of him?"

"I doubt it. He was born five hundred years ago."

"What? Five hundred- oh, right, Kuno. Should have expected something like that, really. That doesn't explain how _you_ know them, though."

Genma readjusted his glasses. "Let's just say that we met in the past, and didn't part on the best of terms."

"You stole from them, didn't you?"

"Whelp! Respect your father!" The stick came down onto Ranma's head, making her wince and put her hand on her head.

"Pop, you're a bastard, you know that?"

"More channeling, less jawing!"

* * *

Kodachi carefully opened the door to her brother's room, unsurprised to see him worshiping his posters. They were, as usual, meticulously clean and sparkling; she suspected he used a special kind of paper, as they refracted the light quite strongly. 

Coughing, she got his attention. "Brother dearest, I have some alarming news for you, regarding the Pig-Tailed, uh, Goddess."

Tatewaki immediately turned around. "For you to call her as such is an alarming turn in and of itself. What knowledge do you bring, dear sister?"

"I fear you will not find me so dear after I impart my grave news. Worse, I fear you will call me a liar, or a fool."

"Sister! I give you all the trust that blood asks – I swear, I will not challenge your truthfulness, nor your intelligence. Come, what has happened to my Pig-Tailed Goddess? Has the Foul Sorcerer Saotome conjured another demon to fulfill his base desires, and imperiled that fiery beauty that is so helpless in front of the font of sin that is Saotome?"

Kodachi shook her head, forcing out tears with a practiced skill. "Nay, Brother dearest, I bring news fouler by far. You remember, brother, what Saotome's initial defense against your righteous charges was?"

Tatewaki looked indignant. "I do indeed! That corrupter of innocence claimed that he and the Pig-Tailed Goddess were one and the same! The pure foolishness of it makes me scoff even now!"

"Brother dear, brace yourself – for that was no idle claim."

Tatewaki stood. "What is this nonsense! Has Saotome laid charms upon you as well, now?"

"No! I would never let myself fall under such a spell, and you know it well." Kodachi looked away, as if she was fearful of her own words. Inside, she was grinning. Well, she was always grinning inside, but especially so right now. "I witnessed the transformation with my own eyes, many times! There was no mistaking it – I saw scars in identical places on both faces, unmistakable mannerisms affected by both man and woman, and, finally, an admission straight from the mouth of the beast itself!"

Tatewaki looked stunned. "I, I do not doubt the veracity of your statements. But how could such a thing be? Have the two been cursed to share one body?"

Kodachi nodded. "It is as you say – but yet, not. I investigated the issue before coming to you, so that I would be absolute in my belief, and have discovered evidence of a magical spring in China that not only Ranma, but many of our rivals and enemies here in Nerima have visited! This spring, known as Jusenkyo, curses an individual to take a certain shape when splashed with cold water, and return to their original form when they feel the touch of hot. Male Ranma is the victim of this curse!" She suddenly burst into tears. "Oh, brother! How could we be so blind?"

Tatewaki gathered his sister up into a one-armed hug. "Do not fear, sister dear! Give in not to your hurt, for this fate we shall avert! Magic I shall find, to release this ugly bind, and when the two are apart, a healing for our heart!"

Kodachi paused. "You're rhyming, brother dear."

"Oh, I apologize. I shall stop."

"Good." Kodachi resumed her tears. "Brother dear, I bear news worse still!"

Tatewaki gasped. "What could possibly shatter our state of affairs even further!?"

"The spring, Jusenkyo, has been destroyed – and its magic has stolen into Ranma's very core! With it, not only had one of the only cures for this curse been destroyed, Ranma's fate has been sealed – with the magic in his person, he will never be rid of the curse no matter how long he lives, and to remove the magic would destroy him utterly!"

Tatewaki stumbled back. "Oh, the horror! To think, the Pig-Tailed Goddess is no more than an aspect of my worst enemy! What have I been doing all this time? Was my love in vain?"

Kodachi placed a hand on her brother's face. "Do not fret, brother dear. While Ranma's masculinity may destroy your your love, mine remains unhindered! I will love him with both our shares – teach him that one cannot escape a Kuno, no matter what curses fall onto them!"

Tatewaki looked uncertain. "If you are sure, dear sister. I would not ask you to carry the burden alone, but it looks like I have no other choice. I will support your efforts will all the force that the Blue Thunder can muster!"

"Thank you, brother dear; your blessing means much to me. But the news I bear is not all ill! I have discovered the secret to advancing ourselves along the path of the martial artist!"

Tatewaki perked right back, and continued to listen as he tore down the picture of Ranma and proceeded to burn it. "What secret is this, sister dear?"

"Do you remember that, when we were being taught the basics of our respective styles, our father told us to never let the Kuno soul out – that, as superior as it is, it must never escape our bodies?"

"Indeed I do, sister dear." Tatewaki had taken Akane's picture off the wall, and was pulling a large wooden frame out of his closet, which had a plaque on it reading, 'My One and Only Love'.

"That advice is what has been holding us back, brother dear! Ranma, and his rivals, have mastered their souls, and regularly use it as part of their styles! Our father has been tricking us!"

"I see! But that does not mean our father is wrong. This may very well be what separates the commoners from the nobility!"

Kodachi turned away. "I see now. The Blue Thunder is afraid of the unknown."

"The Blue Thunder is afraid of _nothing!_" Tatewaki stopped placing Akane's picture into the frame. "I challenge you to bring proof of your foul accusations on our father's honor!"

"I already have!" Dashing out of the room, she grabbed something from behind the door frame – a small black piglet, which was struggling wildly, to no avail. "Watch, brother, and witness proof!"

She pulled out a thermos and poured the steaming water onto the pig. Suddenly, there was no pig – only a naked Ryoga. "Christ, you crazy bitch! I talk to you for three days, and then you kidnap me as thanks!" Ryoga swore as he pulled bandannas off his head and quickly made himself makeshift underwear. "Couldn't you have at _least_ brought my clothes with you?!"

Tatewaki nodded sagely. "I see. This does indeed prove your claims of magical form-switching springs. But how does this shed any light on the subject of martial arts?"

"Ryoga here is an excellent martial artist, as I'm sure you're aware. His testimony on the subject is what I would have you listen to."

Tatewaki put a hand to his chin. "Hmm. Indeed, this boy's prowess is not something I would deny. Speak, commoner! Tell me about these claims my sister is making!"

Royga scowled. "Are you talking about the whole 'mastering the soul' business?"

"I suppose I am. What do you know on the subject?"

"Will you let me go if I tell you?"

Tatewaki nodded. "I will, on my honor as a noble."

Ryoga rolled his eyes. "Fine, I guess that's good enough. I'm through with you people. Anyway, any martial artist worth his salt tries to explore the self. Basically, if you know yourself well, you know exactly what you're capable of."

Tatewaki nodded again. "I see. Continue."

"Uh, well, eventually martial artists discover that they have Ki. It's like life energy, which everyone has, but only someone well trained enough can create it."

"I see! Show me some of this 'Ki'."

"You've seen it before, I'm sure. Ranma and I use it all the time."

"I am interested in studying it, in examining it out of battle. Here – you can finish incinerating this poster of Ranma."

Ryoga eyed the smoldering piece of paper. "You're quick on the rebound, aren't you?"

"A nobles greatest obligation is to continue his line. I cannot let my own disappointment affect my duties."

"Right, whatever, you crazy people. I'll destroy it for you." Pointing an open palm at it, he released a little of his Ki – pink and purple, embarrassment tinging his everlasting depression. The poster was instantly destroyed, and the floor underneath scorched as well.

Tatewaki clapped. "Impressive! Very impressive! I see that you have not spoken false, sister dear – I could sense his soul being put into that attack. I must learn how to accomplish such feats!"

Ryoga started walking out the door. "Not from me, you aren't. I'm out of here."

Tatewaki ignored him. "Sister, you will share everything you learn, yes?"

Kodachi gave a small graceful bow. "Of course, brother dear."

Ryoga started sweating. "Hey! You promised!"

"I did. And I will do nothing to hinder your escape. But my sister made no such promises."

Ryoga squawked as he was splashed with water, and then made furious, but futile movements as his pig form was lifted up by Kodachi.

"Sasuke!" Kodachi called out, and the little man appeared. "Prepare suitable lodgings for our new guest, as well as areas in which I may train with him. He is a guest of honor, but he must _stay_ as guest until I say otherwise, understood?"

The ninja bowed. "Yes, mistress. Should I prepare food suitable for his current appearance?"

"No. He will eat with us, as part of my thanks for his tutelage. Do not underestimate his strength, though; make use of the material left over from the dinosaur cloning program. I expect you to pick him up an hour before dinner."

"Yes, mistress." Sasuke disappeared again.

Kodachi smiled down at her 'charge'. "I am sure our relationship will be beneficial to both parties. You enjoy good food, right? I'm sure a commoner such as you will leap at the chance to enjoy such exquisite cuisine."

She walked off to her room, a despondent pig in one arm, and laughed. "Oh, yes, we will have a wonderful time! Mr. Green will _love_ you!"

Ryoga whimpered. Why did these things always happens to him? The sooner Ranma was able to cure him, the better.

_I wonder what kind of pet Mr. Green is?_

* * *

Akane was practicing changing the size of her hammer when someone knocked on the door. She sighed and turned to walk out of the dojo, but heard Nabiki answer the door and paused. A few minutes later, Nabiki closed the door and returned, and Akane called out to her as she walked past. "Who was that?" 

Nabiki smiled. "Tatewaki. He wanted some pictures."

Akane scowled. "I hope you didn't sell him any."

"Of course I did! He pays premium!"

Akane gripped her hammer tightly. "We had a deal, Nabiki! No more pictures, and I let you know when anyone gets into a fight!"

Nabiki just grinned like a cat. "Yes, we did. But now we have a new one. You do nothing, or I put the pressure off of dad."

Akane's mouth dropped open. "You _bitch!_ I _need_ this training!"

"And I need money. It's very simple."

She gritted her teeth, but Nabiki had the edge at the moment, and there was nothing Akane could do.

_You could-_

_Shut up, Ranma._

"Fine. What pictures did you sell him?"

"Pictures of you, mainly. He also picked up some beefcake ones of Ranma, presumably for his sister."

Akane seethed. "Ugh! I hate you so much!" Then she paused. "What, no pictures of girl Ranma?"

"Nope. Apparently both he and his sister have figured out about the curse."

Akane rolled her eyes. "_Finally_. Wait, Kodachi _still_ wants pictures of him as a guy? She's more persistent than I thought."

"She's a _Kuno,_Akane, what did you expect?" Nabiki suddenly pinched her nose and fanned her face in disgust. "You know, you _stink_. I think I liked it better when you were breaking blocks in the yard."

Akane scowled again. "Hey, there's nothing I can do about it! This stuff is hard to do, and I sweat a lot!"

"Yeah, I can tell. You're certainly Daddy's manly little girl, all right."

"Hey! You take that back!" Akane brandished her hammer. "I am _not _mannish, damn it!"

Nabiki laughed, and danced back up the stairs. "Touchy, aren't we! You should probably try and solve these anger issues you have, Akane. You'll never get a boyfriend otherwise!"

Akane growled, and stomped back into the dojo. _I could too get a boyfriend!_

_That's right! Just-_

_Will you just shut up! I'm not flashing anyone!_

_Of course not! Flashing people won't get you a _boyfriend_. You need to get 'em hook line and sinker for that, and that requires sex. Lots of gratuitous sex._

_Why are you always telling me to do perverted things, Ranma!?_

_You know you want to! Go out and flash someone, make their day!_

Akane started swinging her hammer, silencing the voice with her exertions._Can't listen to him. Listen to him only encourages him. I'm not a pervert, I'm just repressed. I need a boyfriend. Damn it, he's getting to me! Blasted Ranma. Making me think perverted thoughts._

As she continued to swing, she practiced making the hammer smaller before and after her swing, and larger during it, increasing the momentum and making it easier to handle. She'd also occasionally change the hammer into a different material, like stone or plastic.

Plastic with pink hearts all over it.

_I've been watching too much anime_, she thought as she changed it back into wood. She was about to swing again when someone knocked on the door again. When no one else was forthcoming, Akane stomped over, determined to test out her new hammer techniques if it was Kuno. Or Ranma, since he kept giving her such awful advice.

_No, wait, that's the voice in my head. Focus, Akane, focus._

To her surprise, it worked. The presence of the voice lifted away a little, and when it tried to speak, she could hardly hear it. Smiling, she opened the door, to find Ukyo there. "Hello, Ukyo! What brings you here?"

Ukyo gave her a wary look. "You look... happier than normal. Did something happen?"

_I got one up on Ranma! _"No, not really."

The chef shrugged. "Whatever. Glad to see you're less grouchy than normal. Anyway, I was hoping I could talk to Kasumi. I've decided I need to start looking into cooking thinks other than okonomiyaki, and I figured Kasumi would be a great person to ask where to start."

Akane blinked. "Are you giving up on okonomiyaki?"

Ukyo shook her head vehemently. "Absolutely not! I just think some more variety will... give me strength." She chuckled, as if she had made a private joke.

Akane shrugged and stepped back. "Sure, whatever. It's none of my business. Kasumi's in the kitchen, so you can ask her yourself."

Ukyo bowed quickly, and proceeded inside. She quickly made her way to the kitchen, as familiar with the Tendo home as she was her own restaurant. Akane walked back into the dojo, and resumed her training.

She could immediately tell the difference. When she shrunk the hammer, it got as small as her head – and when she enlarged it, it was about as big as she was. That was nearly three times the difference than before! Akane giggled happily.

_...flash someone..._

Akane kept on grinning. _No more advice from you, Ranma!_ She twirled her hammer, shrunk again, and then released it, letting both the hammer and the Ki it was made of disperse. _I think I'm going to take a break, go have some fun in town! I haven't done that in a while!_

Walking up the steps, she met Nabiki, and told her of her intentions. Nabiki agreed to come along, a little surprised at Akane's good mood, and Akane hummed as she made her way to the bathroom to clean herself up.

_I haven't felt this good in a long time! Let's see how many boys I can get to look my way!_

* * *

Konatsu whipped out a pair of shuriken and sent them flying towards his opponent. With a squish they struck their target, but the little monster seemed only a little slowed, it at all. Grimacing, Konatsu took out a vial and filled his mouth with a special oil, which he promptly spewed out as a stream of fire. _That_ stopped the thing cold in its tracks – or rather, not co coldly. 

The ninja quickly cleaned up the ashes and carefully put them into a small vial. Ukyo had told him to keep her new creations contained, and if he had to destroy any, to keep the remains, so Konatsu did just that. Why Ukyo didn't just scrap the ugly little things and start a new batch with the knowledge she had gone out to obtain, he didn't know, but that wasn't important. Konatsu did what Ukyo told him to. She seemed to have some sort of affection for her creations, despite their obvious lack of intelligence, or any other positive traits.

Ukyo had, after her first creation, tried imbuing several other okonomiyaki with Ki, but the ingredients didn't seem to make much of a difference. The on with clam shells had managed to arrange them together to create a shield, and the one Ukyo had tentatively put her special sauce into had promptly suicide-bombed itself into the side of its container, but their temperament always remained the same. Konatsu was reminded of rabid squirrels.

Making sure the lid on the things' temporary containment was shut tight, Konatsu started scrubbing the soot-stain his fire breath had left. After that he'd have to brush the floor, clean and oil the griddle, and finally organize all the ingredients they had and order in some more; Ukyo was going to be doing a lot of cooking, and she'd need all the ingredients she could get.

Konatsu had just managed to properly organize the previous day's batch of ingredients when Ukyo came back through the door. "Ukyo-sama! How did your trip go?"

Ukyo grinned. "Really well! I learned some simple recipes for some European rolls, which I suspect will be much gentler! When do you think I should infuse them with Ki, though? Before I bake them, or after?"

Konatsu shrugged. "I'm not sure, but wouldn't they be sentient during the baking process if you did it before hand?"

Ukyo's grin faded. "Ah, that's right. That's be terrible. Ill do it afterwards." She then hustled into the back room. "Get out a rolling board and pin, Konatsu, I'm going to need it!"

Konatsu complied, and asked Ukyo a question he'd been wondering about as she came back into the kitchen, a variety of ingredients in her arms. "I'm sorry Ukyo-sama, but you never really explained why this was happening."

Ukyo put the ingredients down on the counter. "I didn't? Well, apparently there are these God Seed things, which get formed when you use a lot of Ki, and they sometimes let you do amazing things. I'm not sure if this qualifies as one of them, but I'd guess that my family techniques don't do this on their own."

Konatsu blanched. "I'm not so sure, Ukyo-sama. Maybe they deliberately never told you about it."

"I suppose that could be true. Why would they do that, though?"

"Because they didn't want their descendants playing with their food?"

Ukyo laughed. "Right! Anyway, this roll I'm making has a really tough crust – I'm not sure what will happen, so be prepared for anything!"

Ukyo proceeded to mix the ingredients like Kasumi had told her, and quickly made a perfect roll. Sticking it into the oven, she took a peek at the sentient okonomiyaki – and then shut the lid again. "I know I made these thing, but is it really wrong for me to want to destroy them? They look like sentient piles of bile, and have personalities to match. They just tried to bite me!"

Konatsu stepped forward. "Let me take care of them, Ukyo-sama."

"I don't know, Konatsu. I _did _make them. They're my responsibility."

"Trust me, Ukyo-sama. Spending three hours with them has given me a good perspective. Besides – who else has the right to destroy them than the one who created them?"

Ukyo frowned. "That's dangerous territory, Konatsu."

"Everyone makes mistakes. Just because you made them doesn't mean you can't fix them too."

"Well, alright. But make it quick."

"Of course, Ukyo-sama."

While Konatsu took the crate containing the things outside, Ukyo turned her attention to her baking – only to be interrupted by Shampoo coming through the front door. "Shampoo! What are you doing here?!"

Shampoo slumped into a seat. "Shampoo too, too tired. Grandmother train very hard, leave Shampoo too tired to cook. Grandmother too busy, Mousse too busy too, Shampoo come here for food. Spatula Girl cook, yes? Shampoo pay."

Ukyo tried not to smile. "Sure, I'll cook for you Shampoo. I'm trying out a new type of okonomiyaki, and I'll let you have some for free. What do you say? Peace offering?"

Shampoo looked suspicious, but nodded. Ukyo quickly made a batch, putting in green onions and tuna, the ingredients Shampoo usually asked for (it was always the same, which was why Ukyo remembered). At the last moment Ukyo put her Ki into it, and quickly slid it over.

Shampoo used one of the metal spatulas that were on every table to grab a bite – and screamed when it ate the tool and leaped at her face. Watching her struggle to get it off, Ukyo laughed so hard she started crying. When Shampoo had finally torn the thing into pieces with her bare hands, she turned and glared at Ukyo, her face having a couple small burns on it. She started saying something in Chinese, which Ukyo couldn't understand but assumed to be some manner of curse, and then reverted back to Japanese.

"What you problem, Spatula Girl! What is that thing you give me!? You too, too terrible, you monster!"

Ukyo was trying to laugh, speak, and breathe all at the same time, a difficult task. "I'm, I'm sorry! It, It's just, I couldn't pass up the chance!" She collapsed into laughter again.

Shampoo continue to scowl. "That new technique? Or God Seed thing?"

"I, I think it's a God Seed. I've never heard of my family turning food into living creatures before."

Shampoo turned away. "You too, too lucky. All Grandmother teach Shampoo is small magic. Say, 'Shampoo too inexperienced for advanced magic'. Spatula Girl already get Seed, while Shampoo stuck making flowers grow."

Ukyo stopped laughing, although she kept a broad grin on her face. "The only Ki technique I knew was infusing sauce with Ki to make it explosive. You're lucky you've actually got competent technique."

"Making flower grow too, too boring. Even Mousse get better technique. He start shooting things out of sleeves, making neighbors complain about smashed walls. Destroy Shampoo's Ranma doll!"

Ukyo raised an eyebrow. "I thought we all had spares of those."

"Oh, have spare. But is principal of thing."

Ukyo was silent for a moment. "Well, good luck with the whole magic thing. Let me make you a _real_ okonomiyaki, to make up for the joke." She turned to the griddle.

Shampoo still looked despondent. "Shampoo want real magic. Grandmother always too, too cautious. Shampoo think this annoying. Spatula Girl agree?"

Ukyo frowned. "Stop calling me that and I might."

Shampoo sniffed. "Fine. What Ukyo think?"

"See? That wasn't too hard." Ukyo turned back to the okonomiyaki. "I think she may be right. Magic's a crazy thing – look at what's happened to Ranma. To you, too – I'd think getting cursed would teach you to be cautious about magic."

"Difference between cautious and too cautious!" Shampoo slammed her palm down against the table. "Shampoo annoyed. Magic different from martial arts, no use Ki, not sure if get God Seed. Shampoo must get God Seed, so can be with Ranma. Shampoo think Grandmother keep Shampoo too, too tired to practice martial arts."

Ukyo nodded, used to listening to people complaining in her restaurant. "Here, fill yourself up with this." With a flourish, she finished up the okonomiyaki and laid it in front of Shampoo. "I put my heart into this. Eat up!"

Shampoo stared tentatively. "Shampoo not too sure she want your heart." She poked it with another mini-spatula and when it didn't move, grabbed a bit and ate it.

She instantly sat up straight, and dropped the spatula. "This," Shampoo said, "This is too good! This is great! I can't believe how good this is! I feel great!"

Ukyo stared. "Holy crap, you're speaking normal Japanese!"

Shampoo put a hand to her mouth. "I am! Oh, geez, now it all seems so clear! What the hell did you put into that thing?!"

Ukyo shook her head. "Nothing! I only – oh."

"Oh, what?!"

"I think I infused it with Ki again, but in a different way."

Shampoo grinned, and grabbed another bite. "This stuff is great! I feel re-energized like you would not believe!"

"What I'm not believing is hearing you speak like a native Japanese schoolgirl."

Shampoo ignored her, and continued to eat. When she was finished, she got up, nearly quivering. "This is great! Ukyo, you have to spar with me! Let me practice my martial arts with you!"

Ukyo frowned. "Why would I want to do that?"

Shampoo looked pathetic. "Please! I have to practice! I'll taste-test anything you create, I promise!"

Suddenly Ukyo became a lot more enthusiastic. "_Anything?_"

Shampoo looked torn, but nodded.

"Alright then, let's get this party started!" Ukyo pulled the roll out of the oven and quickly infused it with Ki. When it started passively rolling around, she grinned. "I'll deal with this later. Konatsu!"

There was a cursing sound as Konatsu shouted out in surprise. "Yes, Ukyo-sama?"

"The roll's done and it looks pretty passive. Come back in here ASAP and look after it, alright?" Ukyo went out the door, grabbing her giant spatula on the way. Shampoo followed eagerly.

Konatsu walked through the door, looking tired. He had several bandaged bite marks on his arms and hands. Walking over to the roll, he examined it apathetically. "Looks harmless enough."

Suddenly, it accelerated over the edge and landed on his foot. There was a crunching sound as it broke several bones, and Konatsu screamed. He hopped around on one foot, wondering how a two inch piece of baked dough could weigh what felt like fifty pounds.

The thing attempted to attack him again, but Konatsu was having none of it. He quickly grabbed it with one hand and lifted it into the air. Konatsu didn't know much about Ki – but he knew how to enhance his body with it. The unflinching grip he had on the roll, which was trying to spin at a speed that would have put a race car to shame, proved that. There was a crazed look in Konatsu's eyes as he grinned at the little thing. "Let's see how long you can last. It'll be a good experiment." Then he began to squeeze.

Konatsu was genuinely surprised when the roll lasted about five minutes.


	5. The messenger ALWAYS gets screwed

And here's chapter 5!

A quick note. I am very, very glad that people have been viewing my story - it makes me really happy when people put it on story alert, or add it - or me, even! - to their favorites. But I'm not getting that many reviews. Now, I'm not going to get angry or anything - that's ridiculous. You have no obligation to review my story. However, as Ambiguous Inexplicable Enigma noted, a lot of people look at the review count to judge whether or not something is worth reading. Thus, I'd appreciate it if, when you read my story and like it, drop a review. I'd like to say that reviews don't matter, but they do - they make a difference to how many people will read the story. So drop a review, anything at all. It'll make my day.

Also, there is a brief bit of swearing in this chapter. Just warnin' ya'.

* * *

"Nope. Does nothing for me."

Genma pointed to a different picture, a buff black haired man in trunks, posing. "How about this guy? He looks hot."

Ranma gave her father a pained look. "I can't believe I just heard you say that. And no, got nothing. Not interested."

Genma turned the page. "Ah, this looks good. If I was a girl, _I'd _be interested in him."

"Geez, dad, why are you even trying? Shouldn't mom be doing this with me, if at all?"

"If I let your mother get her claws into you, you'll be wearing dresses 24/7 faster than Happosai goes after his precious lingerie. Do you want that?"

Ranma shook her head, grimacing. Even with in her new girly side, she preferred gender-neutral clothing.

"That's what I thought." Genma pointed to another picture. "Here's a real bishonen; how do you feel when you look at him?"

"Nothing, pops. Where'd you get this thing, anyway?"

"Nabiki sells these black booklets to a special clientèle. She calls it 'black-market porn', but none of these are very-" he froze as he turned the page, his mouth open in shock.

Ranma looked over, and stopped in shock as well. Where the previous beefcake pictures had been arranged four or five to a page, this was big enough to take up the whole thing by itself. It was also a picture of male Ranma. Naked.

Furiously going at Ryoga from behind.

All the blood drained from Ranma's face. "Wha, what the hell? What _is_ this?!"

Genma slowly turned his head to look at his daughter. "You, you, you-" He didn't seem able to coherently form a sentence.

Ranma frantically looked back and forth between her father and the pornography. "I, I have _no_ idea what this is. It can't _possibly_ be real, I'd _never_ do this!"

"You, you, you-" Genma kept on chanting the word, as if it was a prayer. There was a high-pitched frantic tone to his voice now, and his eyes were rolling.

Ranma stared at the picture, and was relieved to see faint lines and discolorations. "Look, pops, this image was altered! See here? It's a fake!"

Genma looked down at the picture, squinted, sighed in relief, and then fainted.

It was Ranma's turn to roll her eyes. "Geez, pops, taking this a little heavy?" Not that Ranma had been any less panicked; she's just dealt with it better.

It'd been a week since they'd first started training, and today Genma had declared Ranma suitable for the next step of training. It was about damn time, too; Ranma was getting pretty damn good at channeling now, and didn't even have to really concentrate to produce deific energy. She'd figured out how to get the speed down, as well; rather than push the Ki harder, she made the areas it crossed easier to flow across. It was like pushing a stone block over an oiled tarp rather than across a sandy beach, and after she'd figured that step out, it became a simple task to refine the process.

Before they'd advanced, though, Genma had decided to run a series of 'tests' to find out what kind of girl Ranma was. Ranma had appreciated it, actually; it gave her a chance to really think about the subject, and the answers she'd gotten were relieving: she wasn't that different of a person. She seemed to hold the idea of family closer to her heart, and her affection for her father was heightened, almost strangely so, but no matter what angle she approached it from everything always seemed completely normal. She'd been under enchantments before, and they'd felt different – when she couldn't force it away, the urges were overwhelmingly strong. There was nothing unusual about the changes to her personality this time.

There was also an unmistakable urge to look attractive, but as they'd just been figuring out, she felt no attraction to guys. Which was a relief, as it meant her love life wouldn't be getting any more complicated. Well, it would probably still get complicated, but at least it wouldn't involve any boys!

Besides those two things, though, she was pretty much the same. Same personality, same desire to win, same dislike of cats – although that _was_ getting better. Same Ranma.

Genma was passed out on the ground, so Ranma decided to go get something to drink. There was a convenience store around the corner, which she and her father had been subsisting on. Her father had come up with the money, and Ranma wasn't asking where it came from; they needed solitude, and they weren't going to get that at the Tendo house, so Ranma wasn't decrying her father's methods. Thievery had always been an integral part of the Anything Goes style, even if only when necessary.

She gave a girlish wink at the pimply teenage attendant (she hadn't developed an aversion to using her looks as an advantage, so she continued to do so), which distracted him long enough for her to pocket two cans of cold coffee. Walking out of the store, she waved goodbye, and giggled when the attendant nearly fell over the counter in his exuberance to do the same.

When she got back, Genma had woken up, and she handed him a can without comment. The older man drank it quickly, tossed it into a nearby bin, and then got to his feet.

"Alright Ranma, enough tests," he said, kicking the booklet away from where it had fallen. "Dealing with Nabiki can come later; let's continue on with the training. Genma got into a fighting stance. "You need to practice moving your deific energy into other people with precision. There are ways of protecting yourself against deific energy, and I'll be using them; if you force it into my body here," he said, putting a hand on the center of his chest, "it'll make things easier for me."

Ranma grumbled. "Can't we figure out how to change me back, first?"

"All in time, all in time. Now! Channel it into me!"

Ranma stepped forward and complied, pressing his deific energy into Genma. Genma grunted, but seemed unaffected. "Good! You'll master this quickly, I can tell! Again!"

* * *

Xian Puu dragged her feet as she made her way back to the Cat Cafe, the sunset winding away as night fell. Ukyo had made good on her promise, and had sparred with the Chinese girl every day, after she had cooked up one of the energy/linguistics boosting okonomiyaki. Afterwards, though, Xian Puu was forced to eat a variety of dishes, which had a multitude of positive and negative effects. A curry that made her breathe fire, and one that made her sneeze soap bubbles; a jello that had left her body rubbery and unresponsive for hours. Several meat dishes had given her a hunger for the diets of what she had eaten, and one vegetable soup had turned her skin green and leathery, and gave her the ability to photosynthesize. Luckily they were all temporary, including the okonomiyaki that made her speak Japanese so well – which was a plus, since it also made her forget how to speak Chinese.

Ukyo was getting better at utilizing her new gift – but Xian Puu had been experiencing no progress at all. Grandmother was still refusing to train her beyond the simple _Flowers Blooming_ spell, saying that her mastery of magic was still very low. Xian Puu thought her mastery of magic was fine right where it was – having none at all.

She wasn't interested in magic. Only the elders of the village learned magic, to make up for the loss of physical ability. In modern stories, the heroines were always martial artists, and would sometimes have male wizards as their companions – shockingly scandalous, but all the girls her age loved them, so they kept getting written by the story tellers. Xian Puu wanted to practice her martial arts, develop a God Seed, get Ranma to fall in love with her – but Grandmother, for some reason, seemed opposed to this goal.

Xian Puu could tell that her Ki wasn't getting any better. Magic used life energy as its source, and Grandmother had dodged the issue of whether it would help Xian Puu's development of a God Seed so many times that she was sure it wasn't accomplishing anything. She didn't know why Grandmother was trying to stop her development of a God Seed, but Xian Puu was determined that she'd get it anyway. It would be impossible for Grandmother to directly order her to stop practicing martial arts, as not even an elder had the ability to sabotage someone's development that way; as long as Xian Puu avoided the traps Grandmother set, she'd be fine.

Right now she was exhausted – she had to be, to prevent Grandmother from thinking anything was wrong. Walk away exhausted, come back exhausted – that was the only way. Ukyo, thankfully, had enough stamina to wear Xian Puu down, although she'd started eating the special okonomiyaki as well. Xian Puu was really jealous, actually; after fighting her everyday for four days now, she knew that the spatula girl was actually quite skilled, even if she didn't use any Ki abilities.

Xian Puu turned the corner to see the Cat Cafe standing there, closed once again. Grandmother had kept the place closed for a week now, keeping Xian Puu busy all day. Muu Suu was busy as well, training his own techniques. To think, that blind idiot was getting to do what Xian Puu wanted, while she was forced to garden everyday, using magical energy to keep a couple of weeds perky!

She raised her head as she heard strange sounds coming from an empty lot nearby. Walking up, and delaying the blessed rest she needed so much, Xian Puu was surprised to find Muu Suu there, throwing things from his sleeves. Well, not really that surprised; Grandmother had told him to stay away from the restaurant two days ago, when he blew some (more) holes in the wall.

_What has he been training at?_ Xian Puu wondered; she'd been intensely curious about the source of Muu Suu's new throwing power. Looking around before catching the blind boy's attention , she saw that he'd been throwing some of those training rods of his at what looked like monstrous metal cubes. They were made of steel, and were nearly three feet thick and five feet high; even more amazing, though, was that they all bore terrible marks from Muu Suu's throws – scorched holes from where his training rods had pierced into the metal. _What kind of technique has he learned!? I don't think even a high-caliber gun could do that much damage!_

Muu Suu whipped around as he finally noticed Xian Puu's presence. He was sweating heavily; whatever he was doing, it really took it out of him. As he embraced a fire hydrant, she also noticed that he wasn't wearing his glasses.

"Xian Puu!" he cried in Chinese for the second time, this time successfully launching himself at her after replacing his glasses. "Have you come to see my progress? Have you come to cheer me on?"

"Don't be an idiot, Muu Suu," she replied back in the same language, tiredly putting a foot into his face to stop him short. "I was just wondering what kind of damage you were wreaking."

"_Much_ damage, Xian Puu, _much_ damage!" Muu Suu remained on the ground, trying to get around Xian Puu's intercepting foot. "My new technique is working out very well, although it is difficult to hold for any period of time. Soon I will develop a God Seed, and you will finally be free to marry me!"

"You? Develop a God Seed? Don't make me laugh!" Xian Puu looked down at him cruelly. It was partially affected, but she was also very, very tired of his idiotic attempts to gain her love. "You'll never reach that level. And even if you did, I would never marry you, Muu Suu. My heart is Ranma's!"

Muu Suu stiffened. "But, Xian Puu! He cares nothing for you!"

"That matters little to an Amazoness and you know it! Besides, he cares for me at least a _little_."

"What does he have that I don't?!"

Xian Puu turned her eyes upwards, smiling as she recalled all that appealed to her about Ranma. "He's handsome, he's skilled, he's chivalrous, he's a better martial artist – and he's not an obsessed fanboy!"

Muu Suu recoiled at each item on the list, looking heartbroken. This only made Xian Puu feel more successful. "I can understand the handsome bit," he said softly, "but I'm just as good a martial artist as he is! If I get a God Seed, you can't say otherwise!"

Xian Puu turned away. "You'll never get a God Seed, so it's a moot point. I'm going to bed. Have fun training for a goal you'll never reach." She walked away without looking back, and didn't say a word to Grandmother as she made her way to her bed and tried to go to sleep.

The sounds of Muu Suu's efforts echoed long into the night. Xian Puu had to grit her teeth to prevent herself from walking over to the window and shouting at him to stop making such a racket. _Just like a man to work himself into the ground over such a thing. Amazon or Japanese, they're all fools, letting testosterone make their decisions for them!_

It was nearly midnight by the time she got to sleep. Muu Suu had finally stopped practicing when a neighbor had thrown something at him; she hadn't heard him come up the stairs, so he'd either snuck in, or he'd stayed in the lot. Her last thought before sinking into unconsciousness was why Ranma couldn't be as dedicated.

* * *

Nabiki was napping on the porch when Ranma came to call.

She could tell he – or rather, she – was angry by the sound of her footsteps. The martial artist was practically pounding holes in the asphalt as she made her way down the street; Nabiki knew it had been a mistake to sell Genma the booklet, but he'd offered a lot of money for it. Running away wasn't going to solve this problem, though, as Ranma sounded angry enough to actually chase her, and there was no way Nabiki could actually escape Ranma if the martial artist wanted to catch her. She got up and made her way to the door before Ranma got there.

Just before Ranma was going to knock, Nabiki opened the door. This put the red-haired girl off balance, which was exactly where Nabiki needed her. She launched into an aggressive plan to sidetrack the issue and distract Ranma.

"Ranma, I heard Kodachi's found out about your curse." As Ranma flinched at the memory, Nabiki smiled inside. "I could offer some help on the subject – for a price."

Ranma shook her head. "I don't think so, Nabiki, not this time. I going to ask straight out – what did you think you were _doing_ when you made those, those, _pictures_ of me?!"

Nabiki smirked. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play games with me, Nabiki!"

"I thought you were going to ask me straight out? That didn't sound very straight out to me."

Ranma growled. "Nabiki, there are few things I can't just endure, but attacks on my sexuality, especially blatant ones like that, are at the top of the list. You're going to destroy all of those booklets. Then you're going to pay me back, for all the humiliation you've caused me."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow. "Are you demanding money from me, Ranma? I don't think-"

"I don't _care_ what you think!" Ranma snarled. "All I care about is making sure this stops – to whatever extent I can, making sure it _never happened!_ And you're going to put all your resources to the task to help me do so!"

Nabiki frowned. This was getting out of hand. Ranma was looking at her with an anger so fiery that she'd only seen him act the same way toward other martial artists, and those rarely at that. He wasn't going to listen to reason, but she couldn't just give in to his demands – that'd be the start of a long and slippery slope. This kind of thing was real blackmail material, and if Ranma let it slip, her father wouldn't take it lying down. She couldn't go down that path – as stubborn as he was, as soon as Ranma got leverage over her like that, he'd use it to halt her every attempt to make money off of him, despite the fact that it was the only thing keeping the house afloat.

So she... _pushed _a little bit, with her mind.

"Ranma," she said sweetly, "that's a little much, don't you think?"

Ranma looked dazed. "Well, I, uh, I don't think it's _that_ much, considering-"

"I have to _support_ this family, Ranma, and I need _money_ to do so." With every word that Nabiki put emphasis on, Ranma looked a little more dazed. Nabiki herself was starting to sweat; she'd never been forced to use her special gift on Ranma before, so she'd never realized how tough of a nut he was to crack. "It'd be_unfair_ to make me pay for such a thing, don't you think?"

"M-m-m-m-maybe so," Ranma stuttered distantly, "But you, you still need to get rid of the booklets..."

Nabiki winced. Those things were making her a lot of money among the female population, but Ranma wasn't giving in on it, so they'd have to go. "Alright, I'll make sure they're _all_ destroyed, alright Ranma?"

Ranma grinned happily. "Thanks, Nabiki. You're the best!"

Nabiki patted her on the back. "That's nice, Ranma. You should probably go lie down."

Ranma nodded, still grinning, and Nabiki helped her over to a futon that was in the living room and laid her down onto it. Standing up, she steadied herself at the sudden dizziness, and pinched her nose in annoyance when she realized it was bleeding. She made her way to the kitchen and asked Kasumi for a glass of water, who handed it over with a worried look. Nabiki waved her away and went back to the porch and sat down.

_Man, I haven't used that for a while. Hope Ranma doesn't pick up any ill effects; that geezer _did_ say that his mind would be more stable now._ She sighed. _Blast it. I never wanted to use that again._ Aside from the possible effect it had on _her_ health, it damaged her target as well – and it meant that she was too incompetent to solve the situation in any other way. _If I'd waited a little bit, a solution would have presented itself – why did I have to panic like that?_

She put her back up against one of the house supports, but found she didn't need it. Normally the headaches she got after using her ability lasted all day long, and against stubborn people like Ranma it often continued into the next day – but she was already feeling better, and it'd barely been five minutes. _Huh. That's weird. Maybe Kasumi's been cooking some sort of brain food, or something._

Still a little dizzy, Nabiki got up and made her way to her room. She needed to call her contacts and make sure the black booklets got destroyed. She'd made a promise, and she'd keep it. When she remembered the whole 'becoming girly' thing with Ranma, though, she smiled. _She'll probably start wearing a bra and stuff. Pictures of her willing put one on will sell _real_ well! I need to hook up some more cameras around the house._

Still holding her nose, Nabiki started making plans.

* * *

Kasumi frowned worriedly as her little sister walked off with the glass of water. _What has she done to herself now?_ Akane and Soun had each been too busy mourning the loss of their mother and wife, Kaname Tendo, to notice, but Kasumi had: Nabiki had frequently had such attacks before, and Kasumi had managed to put together the clues and realize they only happened after she'd had a particularly fierce negotiation with someone.

She didn't ask questions, though. Nabiki was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, at least when it came to bargaining and negotiation, so Kasumi didn't ask about it, but she was still worried. _Nabiki must be really stressed if the attacks are coming back. I should cook her up something special later tonight._

A timer went off in her head, and the looked to see that the soup for dinner was done. She poured a bowl and went over the closet, where she grabbed the funnel and gently fed Taro his dinner. She wasn't about to free him, destructive and repulsive as he was, but she wasn't about to let him _starve_ either.

After giving the man his dinner and making sure all his bindings were tight, she went and found each member of the family to tell them dinner was ready. Nabiki was up in her room, looking much better as she scribbled calculations and drawings in one of her notebooks, and both Soun and Akane were busy training in the dojo. Kasumi was glad to see that they were both working so hard on Akane's training; her father hadn't looked that focused in years, and there was a definite improvement in Akane's temperament.

To her surprise, she spotted Ranma napping in the living room. _Good thing I made extra_. Humming now, Kasumi made her way back to the kitchen. Tonight's dinner was going to be wonderful; everyone was looking so much happier nowadays!

As she walked over to the cupboard to take out some bowls, she slipped on some water that Nabiki had let spill when she was drinking. Squeaking in surprise, she reached out to grab something – only to pull the soup pot over with her. As she saw it bearing down on her, she could only think of how disappointing it was that dinner would be ruined.

The soup stopped.

Kasumi blinked, and then sighed. "Oh, dear," she whispered to herself, "I did it again." Putting her hand out and focusing, both the soup and the pot went back up onto the counter, not a drop spilling. Rubbing her backside, Kasumi got back up. "What unladylike behavior. I _must_ stop doing that. I've been doing it _more_ often, too..."

She ladled out the soup into the bowls and began carrying them to the table. Unladylike behavior or not, she wouldn't let it delay the wonderful dinner that would be happening tonight.

No. In Kasumi's household, such a night didn't happen often. She'd make _sure_ it'd happen right.

* * *

A low chuckle resounded through the dark room, echoing off the walls and refracting in the corners. It grew stronger, filling the ears of those who could hear it with dread. Stronger and stronger it became, until it was a full-blown maniacal laugh.

"It's alive!" the same voice called out. "It's-"

"Ukyo-sama!" Konatsu said, a hint of anger and annoyance tinting the respect that was always there. "_Please_, Ukyo-sama, stop doing that! The first time was enough! It's no longer surprising that they're alive!"

Ukyo turned puppy-dog eyes towards her accomplice. "But, but," she said tearfully, "It's so _cute!_" She held up the small gingerbread man, who was looking around curiously.

Konatsu rolled his eyes. "It will probably be just as homicidal as all of your other creations."

The small creature in Ukyo's hands looked upwards. "Where am I?" it asked in a squeaky, uncertain voice. "What am I? Who're you?"

Konatsu's eardrums nearly burst as Ukyo squealed and hugged the little man to her chest. "Did you hear that, Konatsu?! Did you hear that?! It_spoke!_ It's _sentient!_"

Konatsu groaned. "Oh, dear god, Ukyo-sama, what have you _done!?_"

Ukyo ignored him. "Hello little guy. I'm Ukyo, and I just _created_ you! You're my first creation that can speak!"

The gingerbread man blinked its chocolate chip eyes up at Ukyo. "Does that make me special?"

Ukyo squealed again. "Yes, yes it does! You're super, super special!" Gently, she let her creation onto the counter, and then stepped back. "I'm going to make some more gingerbread man for you to be friends with, so stay there and be friends with Konatsu here, alright?"

The gingerbread man nodded. "Alright, mistress."

Ukyo went dancing off into the ingredients cupboard, barely containing her joy. Konatsu, for his part, stared down at the creation cautiously. He was bandaged, bruised, and injured from a dozen mindlessly malicious dishes, and he wasn't about to let another one get the drop on him. Only his Ki healing skills, which he'd secretly picked up over the past year from watching the other martial artists use their Ki abilities, had kept him in good shape.

Then again, it _had_ spoke. None of the others had done that. He put a hand down and extended a finger towards the little thing. "I'm Konatsu," he said distrustfully. "Nice to meet you."

The gingerbread man slapped his finger away and spat on the counter. "Don't fucking touch me, you queer. I don't want to get infected with your faggot virus."

Konatsu blinked, and then smiled grimly. "Well, well. Looks like another failure. Too bad I'm going to have to dispose of you."

The cookie cupped its hands to its mouth and called out. "Mistress! Konatsu is being mean to me!"

In a flash Ukyo returned, a storm of fury. "Konatsu!" she yelled. "I thought I told you to be _nice_ to my creations!"

Konatsu waved his hands. "It's tricking you, Ukyo-sama! It's really a little monster! It called me some nasty names!"

Ukyo glared. "It just got created, fool. How would it know any insults?"

Konatsu opened and closed his mouth noiselessly, and the gingerbread man took the opportunity to leap towards Ukyo. "Mistress! He said he was going to destroy me so that he'd be the only only you could love!"

Ukyo gave Konatsu a dirty look. "I never thought you'd sink so low, Konatsu. You can take a couple of days off."

Konatsu put his hand out, whimpering. "But, Ukyo-sama!"

Ukyo shook her head. "I can take care of myself, Kontasu. Besides, I can't have you poisoning my relationship with my creations. I'll let you know when I need you again."

Crushed, Konatsu walked out the door. He walked about a block before sitting down with his back to a wall. He knew bad things were going to happen, but Ukyo had gotten much better at detecting him lately. He wouldn't be able to hide from her as he was now. _This is what I get for neglecting my training. _Well, he'd train now. Hopefully Ukyo wouldn't get into trouble while he practiced.

As he sadly walked by the Okonomiyaki shop on his way to find a hotel, he could hear Ukyo singing as she prepared a whole batch of gingerbread men.

Konatsu started crying as he thought of the havoc they would cause.

* * *

Kondi Xia Nia was not a happy man.

He'd tried to leave. He really had. That was what he always did. The Group would hire him to scout out a target, and he'd give them the report, receive his funds, and then go on a vacation for a while. They payed well enough that he could afford it. But Happosai had apparently taken a liking to him, because he wasn't letting him leave.

Whenever he got to the city limits he'd find Happosai between him and the outside. Whenever he tried to get in or on a car, Happosai'd be there. When he'd tried to dig his way out, he'd broken into another tunnel to find Happosai there, grinning. The Demon of Lust wasn't letting him out of Nerima, and Kondi Xia Nia was starting to go haywire over it.

He had a plan this time, though. An extreme plan, but nothing else seemed to be working. He'd bought a cannon, the type that circuses used, and was going to launch himself out of the city. He'd survive the landing, and he'd made sure to keep the cannon hidden from Happosai, so he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Once he got out of Nerima, he could make good time; there were rules about this sort of thing, and once he got out of the Happosai's territory even the Demon would be hesitant to force his hand.

He'd already packed the gunpowder, so Kondi Xia Nia lowered himself into the cannon. Releasing a small amount of Ki he lit the fuse from within the cannon, and braced himself.

With a large, noisy, and fiery blast, Kondi Xia Nia was sailing across the sky. He'd messed up the mixture and made it a little too strong since chemistry wasn't his forte, but it didn't matter; he'd be fine, and Happosai couldn't do anything. He cackled as he left the Nerima city limits far behind.

Then he hit the net.

The first thing he thought of was that it couldn't possibly be a net, as he was two hundred feet up in the air, but a quick panicked glance told him otherwise. It was attached to four large kites, amazingly, one on each corner, and with a sinking feeling Kondi Xia Nia spotted Happosai riding the one on his upper left. The old man was chuckling heartily, and Kondi Xia Nia scowled. He struggled, but the net was coated with some sort of sticky substance that resisted all his efforts to win his freedom.

"I'm out of your territory, Demon! You don't really think you'll get away with this, do you?"

Happosai just continued to laugh. "I thought I told you that I don't care about territory. You interested me, so I followed you. Now I've caught you, and I'm going to use you as I see fit."

Kondi Xia Nia gulped. The Demon of Lust did not have a history of mercy. "What do you mean? I haven't done anything to you!"

"The only thing you did was ally yourself with those annoying old farts, but that's good enough for me." Happosai glared into the sky, a distant expression on his face as he thought of old memories. "Those bastards think they can buy anything with money. Well, my student's not one of them, and you're going to deliver the message for me."

Smiling hopefully, Kondi Xia Nia looked at his captor. "You're going to let me go?"

"Hah!" Happosai pulled out his pipe. "Absolutely not! You'd just run off, and they wouldn't listen to you even if you _did_ deliver the message. No, the message to whoever they send next is going to have to be a little more... brutal."

Kondi Xia Nia started sweating. "Wait, please, I'll deliver the message! Just don't hurt me!"

"Hurt you? I'm not going to hurt you." Happosai smiled evilly. "I don't_need_ to hurt you. I can do _much_ better with a little moxibustion and acupressure. It's amazing, really, how you can twist the mind with a little heat and pressure."

Kondi Xia Nia whimpered as Happosai climbed down the net, somehow avoiding getting stuck. What had he done wrong? It had been a simple job, and unoffensive to anyone, really. He'd even been nice to those martial artists and gave them good advice. What had gone wrong?

He closed his eyes as Happosai heated up his pipe. _I was only the messenger!_

* * *

Inside a dark alleyway that no one dared look into, there was a cardboard box. It was dirty. It was wet. It was practically falling apart. But it seemed to be enough of a home that a small black piglet had taken refuge inside of it.

Ryoga whimpered, shivering in the cold. He was still wet from 'playtime with Mr. Green', when he'd taken advantage of the lax security Sasuke had implemented in the alligator's room to escape. He couldn't believe how poor his luck was, that he'd been stuck with Kodachi and her pet alligator for almost half a week. Pet _alligator!_What was wrong with the girl?!

Kodachi had been ruthless. She'd extracted every secret he had, and since he'd already tried to be helpful before, when he hadn't known how much of a psycho she was, there had been little point in holding back. He had no idea what she was going to do with the knowledge, but now she was well on the path of spiritual growth. Ryoga shivered again. Knowing that woman, she'd manage to twist and pervert even that.

He didn't even have to think about the matter to know that Ranma was at the root of his problems. _Damn you Ranma! You've made my life hell! I'll get my revenge!_

Sneezing, Ryoga realized he'd catch a cold if he didn't warm up soon. As he got up to try and find his way to some sort of shelter, hopefully his backpack, Ryoga looked up out of the alleyway to see, of all people, Konatsu there. The ninja looked just as surprised, but Ryoga squealed in thankfulness when he pulled out a canteen of hot water.

A splash and a hasty bandanna-wrapping later, Ryoga was feeling much better. He wouldn't feel right until he found his pack again, but that could come later. "Thanks so much, Konatsu! I thought I was a goner!"

Konatsu smiled sadly. "You're welcome. I'm glad I could be of use to someone."

Ryoga's smile dropped a little. "Something wrong?"

Konatsu sighed. "Ukyo-sama has... given me a holiday."  
"Oh. Isn't that a good thing?"

"No!" Konatsu's outburst surprised Ryoga, and he involuntarily took a step back. "It is not good! Ukyo-sama is in danger, and I cannot be there to protect her!"

Ryoga raised an eyebrow. "Danger? I thought she could take care of herself."

Konatsu sniffed. "She is fully capable of that, but her opponents this time are devious." Realizing something, he got on his knees. "Please, Ryoga-sama! Let me train with you, that I might be strong enough to protect Ukyo-sama without her knowledge!"

Ryoga was surprised, but nodded. "Sure, that's fine. I need a sparring partner anyway, to see if I can develop my God Seed."

Konatsu blinked. "You, too? Is everyone getting these things?"

"Pretty much."

"What about me?" Konatsu stepped forward. "Can I develop one as well? All it requires is Ki, yes?"

Ryoga shrugged. "I guess. From what I've been told, anyone who practices their art long enough develops one."

Konatsu nodded, full of vigor. "Then I shall endeavor to earn myself one! Hopefully, it will assist in my efforts to protect Ukyo-sama!"

Ryoga rolled his eyes. "What's with this self-sacrifice thing you ninjas have going on? Don't you have an ego?"

Konatsu bowed. "No, I do not. I was trained out of mine at an early age."

"I, I see." Ryoga rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Well, whatever. Let's go find an empty lot and train. Why are there so many of those around here, anyway?"

"Property value depreciation, I have been told. Our battles make land here too expensive to buy, as no one can afford the maintenance costs."

"Huh. Well, anyway, you should know that I'll be practicing all my Ki moves, so be prepared, okay? We can't go easy on each other."

Konatsu bowed again. "I will do the same. We must put all our effort into it, yes?"

Ryoga nodded. "Right." Than he looked down at his nearly-naked self. "But, let's get my clothes back first, alright?"

Konatsu blushed. "Of, of course."

"Ugh! Don't do that, you're a guy!"

"I am a woman at heart."

"You didn't blush until I mentioned it!"

"Forgive me. I will endeavor to be more womanly in the future around you."

"That wasn't what I- oh, whatever. Do as you wish."

They walked off, Ryoga turning red and making haste as people stared at his lack of clothing.

A child pointed at them. "What's that couple doing, momma? Why is he naked?"

"Don't look!"

Ryoga turned crimson. Futilely, he turned to the crowd. "Hey, this guy is a man!"

The murmurs grew worse.

Ryoga threw up his hands and stomped off, holding onto his makeshift underwear tightly. Konatsu followed, holding both hands to his face like a shy schoolgirl.

_Ranma Saotome! I will get my revenge!_


	6. ALWAYS

Hello again. Sorry this took so long; I've been sick.

I'll take this opportunity to inform my readers that, on the 26th, I'll be returning to college. This means my updates will be slower - possibly quite a bit. I'll try and keep up, but ultimately college takes precedence. Duh.

This chapter is a little... different. Tell me what you think.

* * *

She was nearing her goal, she could tell. No mortal creature could resist her charms; all it would take was a few more days, and it would be hers. The glory she would earn, the pleasure she would soak, _bask_ in, the _perfectness_ of the moment at which he succumbed would be indelibly marked into her brain, a glyph carved by pheromones and triumph. She could feel his fingers dancing over her skin already, the taste of his body as she enjoyed him to the fullest, the release as they-

Kodachi squawked indignantly as she was struck upside the head. _She_, Kodachi, _struck_ upside the head. The surreality of the situation kept her from properly registering what had happened for a few moments, and she only managed to give her companion an amazed glare.

Mary scowled right back. "Pay attention when I'm talking!" she exclaimed, lowering her hand.

Kodachi brought herself to her full height. "You _dare_ to strike a Kuno?! I shall teach you the meaning of _fear_, worm!" She put a hand into her jacket, prepared to bring out her deadly ribbon to, to, to do something to the wench. Smite- yes, that sounded good. She would smite this insolent creature, and then move on to her conquest.

But Mary held out a hand and shook her head. "You want to get Ranma?"

Kodachi paused, and nodded.

"Then you need to listen to me. As your, uh, teacher in the matters of love, I have certain prerogatives – one of which is ensuring your attention in any way I deem fit."

Kodachi trembled, but put her hand back down. "You are a brave commoner, that is for certain. Very well. We have finally had a chance to meet, thanks to my busy schedule with my martial arts tutor. I will listen to what you have to say."

Mary nodded, sighing. _I can't believe I just did that. This school's good for giving you guts, at least._ "As I was asking you, how did your meeting with Ranma go a week ago?"

Kodachi lit up. "It went splendidly! Ranma hardly avoided my presence at all! She was almost passive about it!"

Mary nodded, and the stopped. "Wait, 'she'?"

"Indeed." Kodachi looked forth bravely. "I have discovered that my rival, the pig-tailed wench, is none other than Ranma's cursed form. But I shall not give up! He shall be mine, regardless!"

Mary sighed again. "I don't know how you think up stuff like this. Ah, well. You can keep your delusions for all I care. Now that you've let him know about your intentions, it's time to make it perfectly clear to him that you'll act according to them."

Kodachi nodded eagerly. "How must I do this?"

"It is important that you follow my instructions, all right? I assume you know when Ranma usually makes his way out of school?"

Kodachi shook her head. "I do, but she is currently avoiding attendance, in order to master some new martial art her father is teaching her."

Mary blinked, and then put her hand on her chin. "This makes things more difficult. The end goal is to approach him when he has free time, or at least enough leeway that he can make free time. He should feel as little pressure as possible – he needs to be able to _choose_. Can you find an appropriate moment?"

Kodachi nodded. "I have had some men observing her and her father from a distance, and they report that she recently returned home for the night. No doubt she will resume her training, but I can intercept her if I hurry."

"Can you stop referring to Ranma as a 'she'?" Before Kodachi could answer, Mary tiredly put out a hand. "Actually, never mind. It's a minor thing, and I'll take what I can get. Now, when you get him alone – and it _has_ to be alone – ask him, _beg _him even, to let you spend some time with him. Appeal to his masculine nature – letting you come along should seem like the gentlemanly thing to do. Make yourself as unobtrusive as possible. Actually, since he's doing some training or whatever, ask if you can accompany him and watch, or support, or whatever works. Even if all that happens is that you sit there and watch him meditate, that'll get you a step ahead of the others."

Kodachi frowned. "This does not seem like a very proactive approach."

"And rightly so. All the other women after him – excepting Akane, who from what I've heard has a different set of problems – are extremely proactive in their attempts to get close to him, excessively so. The key to a guy like Ranma is to make being with him a natural thing. Akane's already accomplished this, which is why she's ahead. Heck, I heard he almost married her – that's a a pretty big lead!"

Kodachi looked uncertain. "Are you _sure_ that this will bring Ranma closer to me? There is nothing else I must do?"

"Well, it helps if you get close to his friends. That way, he can be comfortable around you even when his friends are around. Like his father – get friendly with him, if you can." Mary thought for a second. "Considering this is you, remember that this has to be two-way – he needs to become friends with _you_, too. It's okay if he doesn't learn much about you this time, as his martial arts might get in the way, but the more he knows about you, the more at ease he'll feel."

A determined look in her eye, Kodachi bowed. "Then I will be off! Ask my ninja if you need to collect payment for your services at any time!"

As Kodachi disappeared onto the rooftops, Mary walked off, glad to finally be rid of the girl. Rich girls were always arrogant, but Kodachi beat them all hands down. Plus, she was crazy. If she played her cards right, though, Mary wouldn't have to be affected by said insanity. Just grab her money and leave – that was the way to go.

"...wait, ninja?"

* * *

It had been a busy morning for Ranma. Having quickly mastered the second part of Genma's training, her father had given her time off the night before. Of course, it wasn't _really _time off, and they both knew it; it was time to go get what was due. Strangely, after coming to the Tendo House to get her revenge on Nabiki, her anger had just disappeared after she'd woken up from a nap. She wasn't quite clear on the details, but the problem with Nabiki had been solved, she knew that much. Kasumi had served a delicious dinner, and then Ranma had gone back to sleep, as her headache had been rather fierce. 

She'd woken up this morning feeling refreshed, but first Kasumi, and then Nabiki, had had her running around doing errands. Kasumi had run out of rice, to Ranma's surprise, and she'd had to dash to the market to grab some, as Kasumi didn't have time to make it there and back before breakfast. Then she'd run out of eggs; Kasumi had been so tearfully embarrassed about it that Ranma couldn't have possibly _not_gotten them for her. Kasumi had been alright then, but after breakfast Nabiki had demanded that Ranma help her track down a few buyers of the black booklets who'd been staying out of contact. Two hours and five thefts later that had been taken care of, but then Nabiki pulled out some photos and blackmailed Ranma into buying her some lingerie. Ranma knew she should be angry about it, but she couldn't muster the energy, she just went and bought the stupid lacy things. Why Nabiki needed her to buy lingerie was beyond her, but the young mogul had payed her for it, so who cared?

She was finally free to get back to her father and resume her training, though, and she was avoiding the two older Tendos to make sure it stayed that way. As she walked past the dojo she was glad to see Akane practicing what looked like some complicated techniques, ones Ranma didn't know – undoubtedly exclusive parts of the Tendo style._Glad to see the tomboy learning something useful for a change. She looks a lot better than normal, and Soun looks pretty good too._

As she stepped out of the gate, though, the one person she'd been hoping_not_ to meet was there, grinning her crazy grin.

"Ranma darling!" Kodachi gushed at her, sending goosebumps up and down Ranma's arms. "I am so glad I was able to meet you before you left! Were you thinking of me?" she asked coyly, batting her eyelashes.

Ranma's stomach turned. "Yeah, I was – about how much I hated you. Get the hell away from me!"

Kodachi seemed undeterred. "Now, Ranma darling, that's a little harsh. You weren't exactly rejecting my presence _last _time we met."

Ranma blushed. The drug might have made her aroused, but it wouldn't have worked if Kodachi hadn't looked attractive. Angry as she was, she couldn't deny that the black-haired aristocrat was quite beautiful – but she _could _ignore it, like any sensible guy. "Thanks to you, I went through hell. Now I know how Ryoga feels. I have _zero_ interest in seeing you right now!"

"Don't be that way, Ranma darling! I won't hinder you!" She leaned forward, trying to look as adorable as possible – and while Kodachi's forte was more 'glamorous beauty', Ranma could still feel the effect. "Ranma darling, you're going to go learn some techniques from your father, right? I listened to what you said last time, and have been trying to become a real martial artist. Couldn't I watch? I only want to improve myself." She gave Ranma her best attempt at puppy dog eyes – something new from the normally haughty girl.

Ranma recoiled, but she could feel the attraction there. Yep, she was definitely still attracted to girls. Kodachi was hitting her weak spots – listening to her advice, trying to become a better martial artist; they were all things Ranma couldn't help but respect. This was Kodachi, though; even if she was asking for very little, she was up to something. "I don't think so. I don't think dad would take kindly to someone watching."

Kodachi bowed. "I see. Then all I ask is that I get a chance to talk to you afterwards, so that I might learn more about the true nature of martial arts from you. Is this too much to ask?" Her voice was exceedingly polite, the words so lacking in emphasis that they floated weightlessly through the air.

Ranma nearly choked. What a simple request! There was no way it was that simple in reality, of course, but still... to help a fellow martial artist along the path, when requested, was one of the duties of being a martial artist. _I can't believe I'm doing this... _"I_guess_ it'd be okay. But only a few questions, and if I tell you to bugger off you have to leave, alright?"

Kodachi glomped Ranma, giving the red-head unpleasant reminders of what promises with Shampoo usually turned into – seductions. "Thank you, Ranma darling! You won't regret this!"

Ranma brushed her off, and then hurried down the street. Kodachi followed, nearly jogging to keep up with Ranma's nervous pace. "Ranma darling, what kind of martial arts are you learning right now?"

Ranma blinked at the strangely normal question, and then responded, giving her a cautious look. "I'm training to take advantage of my God Seed that I've developed. Pretty simple stuff, really."

"I have heard about this God Seed," Kodachi said with enthusiasm. "Is it true that it will make you live longer than most people?"

Ranma frowned. "Who'd you hear that from?"

"I have been learning of the true martial arts from your friend Ryoga, and he also told me of this God Seed."

Ranma grumbled. _Blasted Ryoga, telling Kodachi stuff she doesn't need to know. What was he thinking? _"Yeah, it's true. Happosai is supposed to have one, and he's something like two, three hundred years old."

Kodachi frowned. "Is it truly a beneficiary thing to have something in common with that lecherous demon?"

Ranma puffed herself up, her ego inflating at the chance to impart some wisdom. "Martial arts are totally neutral – only the user determines whether his actions will be good or evil. A God Seed is the same; Happosai uses his in the way he wishes, and I'll use it the way I see fit. It's like giving two different people a million dollars, and seeing what they do with it."

"Oh, I see!" Kodach placed her fist into her palm, eyes open in understanding. "Indeed, the difference between a commoner and a noble is such a thing!"

"That's got nothing to do with it!" Ranma looked away, disgusted. "That aristocratic bullshit is what poisons your martial arts. Everyone deserves an equal chance – that's the main tenant of martial arts."

Kodachi looked offended. "Ranma dearest, you may be an exceptional commoner, but you are a commoner nonetheless. Do you really think such small views can overwhelm the long tradition of nobility? No one is equal – this world is filled with those who are either your superior, or your inferior."

"I didn't say people were equal, only that they all deserved equal chances. If they didn't," Ranma said coldly, "I wouldn't be talking to you right now."

Kodachi flinched, but then bowed. "Forgive me, Ranma-sama, I spoke out of line. I will refrain from-"

"Don't give me that!" Kodachi stood straight as a rod at Ranma's angry, almost disappointed tone. "Submitting to me doesn't make me feel better, you idiot. If I wanted blank agreement, I'd talk to a wall. I hate people who give up like that more than anything!" She took a deep breath. "Tell me why you think people don't deserve equal chances. I'll listen, I promise."

Kodachi was silent for a moment, before speaking softly. "Those of inferior breeding and ability should not be given the same chance their superiors get. Doing so only wastes time and effort, which could be better spent utilizing the talents that the superior have been gifted with."

"First of all," Ranma said, warming up to the subject, "where do you draw the line? When is someone good enough to deserve a chance? And who's going to make that judgment call? Everyone is flawed – that's a fact. So no matter who judges, their judgment will eventually be flawed."

"To avoid making a choice because you are not confidant in your abilities is a sign of cowardice. Even if one makes a mistakes, if you make two other correct decisions then you have made a positive impact on the world."

"Maybe, but isn't it better if you give everyone a chance? That way, everyone who is deserving gets a chance – even if it wastes a little of your time, it's one hundred percent correct."

Kodachi blinked. "I see your point. Forgive my impertinence, but I never suspected I would be hearing such deep thoughts from a martial artist such as you, Ranma."

"See, you've got the wrong view of martial arts here. My school grades may be pitiful, but my pops has been telling me to think stuff out like this all my life. It's part of the whole 'study of the self' bit, that you've been missing out on."

"Hmm." Kodachi thought for a second, and then began speaking again. "What you are suggesting does make sense, but what is the point of making sure everyone has an opportunity to present their talent? All this does is muddy the waters, as these people fight to see who is best. Martial arts, for example; not only would you be wasting time by letting idiots who _clearly _have zero ability show you as much, but you would be pitting many more possible candidates against each other. Luck would have a much greater deciding factor in such a broad match-up, and when the weak are paired up against the strong, the winner's true talent would not be evident. Do you really think fighting against a common thug would show your true potential and skill, Ranma dearest?" Kodachi shook her head slowly. "If you have a more experienced fighter choosing who gets an opportunity and who doesn't, however, then their eye would weed out the weak, and the truly strong would have a much greater chance at showing themselves as such, and thereby 'winning'."

"I suppose that makes sense," Ranma said, conceding a little bit, "but on what quality besides talent would that superior fighter be judging? Looks? Often deceptive. Reputation? Can be faked. Bloodline? Means little in the long run. What could possibly prove a better indicator than skill itself?"

"Do not frown upon bloodline," Kodachi said, miffed. "The great only get greater through time."

"Look, I understand that concept – I really do. The whole God Seed thing kind of builds on that. But bloodline doesn't prove everything. You're book smart, right? You know stuff about human genes, right?"

Kodachi nodded indignantly. "I do indeed. I am also _more_ than just book smart."

Ranma ignored her comment. "Genes only carry some things, right? You might be intelligent because your parents were, but personality is more a product of upbringing than anything else, and talent can seem completely random, right?"

Kodachi nodded, nonplussed. "That is true, technically. But I hardly think a commoner would be able to properly absorb the upbringing of a noble. One's family line would dictate how well one would take to the lessons and training that are essential parts of being a noble."

Ranma shrugged. "Maybe. What kind of things make you a noble, anyway?"

Kodachi raised her head. "A resolute spirit, a keen mind, and a proper upbringing make a noble. These are the things that commoners lack."

Ranma couldn't help but laugh. "Hah! Are you serious?" When Kodachi glared at her, she just laughed again. "Commoners have that all the time! I mean, I don't mean to brag, but I'd say my spirit is pretty 'resolute', and I'm a commoner to my roots. As for smarts? Look at Nabiki. She's the smartest person I know, and she's a commoner too. And upbringing is debatable – I think that's got more to do with culture than anything else."

Kodachi stuck her nose in the air. "Hmph! A commoner's idea of 'resolute' and 'keen' are a far cry from what a noble must judge such things by!"

Ranma smirked. "You're just being a sore loser!"

Kodachi frowned, but said nothing. She wasn't convinced of anything – but she'd never expected a commoner to put up a such a fierce argument, even if it was Ranma.

Seeing she was going to remain silent, Ranma shrugged and leaped onto the fence. "Whatever. The whole point is to find your own answers. Just question all assumptions, and you'll get to the truth."

"I_suppose_ that makes sense," Kodachi said stiffly, breaking her silence after a moment. Neither spoke for a while, and then Ranma jumped off of the fence again.

"We're here. Let me alert dad that you're here.

Kodachi nodded, and then leaned against a nearby wall.

* * *

Genma was well aware that his daughter was coming back with someone a full fifteen minutes before they'd arrived. He'd specifically told Ranma not to bring anyone back, that the techniques had to stay secret, but the foolish bo- girl hadn't listened. Genma was already stewing by the time Ranma had walked into the empty lot. "Ranma, I _explicitly_ told you not to bring anyone with you!" 

Ranma waved her hands. "I know, I know, but she was alright with not seeing what we were doing, and I couldn't refuse. It would have violated the martial artist's code."

Genma raised an eyebrow. "She? Which one of your fiancées is it this time?"

Ranma laughed nervously. "Strangely enough, it's Kodachi."

Genma nearly had a heart attack. "Kodachi!? What the _hell_ are you thinking, boy!? I _told_ you to stay away from them! I thought your recent meeting with that girl would have taught you, but apparently you're an idiot to the bone!"

"Pops! I couldn't say no! She was talking about how she was trying to be a better martial artist – you should have heard her last time, she looked completely mystified when I said martial arts was more than just beating people up – and she said she was trying to improve herself, and I just _can't_ say no to stuff like that!"

Genma gave his daughter a flat stare. "Especially if they show a little cleavage, huh?"

"It wasn't that way, pops! Really!" Ranma got nervous again. "She was really, really polite. It was strange, really; _no one's_that polite to me. I'm kinda creeped out."

"She's just tricking you, fool. She wants to learn the secrets of my technique!"

"Don't be so damn paranoid, daddy!" Predictably, Genma flinched at the familial term, and Ranma used the opportunity. "Besides, I had a long talk with her on the way here. I think she's genuinely trying to be a better martial artist."

Genma shook his head. "You're such a sucker, Ranma. Even if she is, she's a Kuno; getting 'better' doesn't mean much when you're crazy from the start."

"Maybe so, but it's the martial artist way to give everyone a chance. Don't tell me otherwise; I just spent the last fifteen minutes trying to convince her of that."

Genma sighed. "You've undoubtedly already promised her something, right?"

"Just to talk. In fact, I've technically already fulfilled my bargain, but it'd be dishonorable to tell her to leave now."

"Rather dishonorable than with a Kuno," Genma muttered.

"_You're_ honor may be flexible, pops, but mine isn't. I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it. She promised to leave if I ask her to, so I don't know what the problem is."

"The problem," Genma said in exasperation, "is that she's a _Kuno_. But I suppose it doesn't matter. You'll only be meditating, so unless she can read minds, she can't learn anything."

Ranma threw up her hands. "Why didn't you just say so!"

"Because she's a _Kuno!_"

Ranma stomped away in disgust. Walking out of the lot, he spotted Kodachi waiting a polite distance away. "Pops says it's okay for you to watch, but I'll only be meditating. I don't want you getting bored and slipping me something again, alright?"

Kodachi smiled innocently "Why, Ranma dearest, I would never do something like that!"

Ranma looked at her tiredly. "That's just a flat-out lie."

"It is not. I would never slip you something because I was _bored_. I would have a far grander reason for it."

"Whatever. Just don't try anything fishy. Scratch that, don't do anything..." Ranma thought for a minute. "Don't do anything I would consider dishonorable."

Kodachi titled her head. "How am I supposed to know what that is, Ranma dearest?"

"Just pretend like everything but sitting there and watching is dishonorable. That's a good place to start."

Kodachi blinked, but Ranma was already walking back to Genma, who was sweating and gave Kodachi a nervous look as she entered. Kodachi, for her part, kneeled down about as far away as she could while still being in the lot.

"Boy," Genma said, still sweating, "this is a _really_ bad idea. Once a Kuno gets their claws into you, you pretty much have to carve them out with a knife to escape."

"Stop being so dramatic, dad, and tell me what the next step is!"

Genma took a deep breath, and calmed himself. "Fine. Now that you've mastered creating deific energy and moving it into others, it's time to find the exact properties of your Seed. From what I've found, the best way to do this is to channel some deific energy and compare it to both your Ki, and the Ki of someone else. I need you to face me and hold my hands; channel the energy into your right arm, through my left arm, into my center, back around to my right arm, into your left arm, and then back into your Seed again. It needs to be a circuit; this will make it easy to maintain, so that you can meditate on the differences while channeling. When we first start, move the energy very slowly, like I taught you, and find the walls of my barrier; once you've created the circuit, the path shouldn't differ without external stimuli."

Ranma nodded slowly. "So, create the circuit, slow at first to find the right path, and then let it flow, while meditating?"

"Right. Now, if we are interrupted, just stop channeling; I can deal with any deific energy inside my system. Don't try and take any of the energy inside me – you'll only hinder my own efforts, alright?"

Ranma nodded again. "I understand."

"Good. Then lets begin."

* * *

Kodachi watched as the martial artists sat down, crossed their legs, linked their hands, and closed their eyes. _This _is_ going to get boring. How am I going to entertain myself?_ She considered a variety of ways to gain Ranma's love, but all of them violated the promises she had made, either to Mary or to Ranma. _Damnation. How am I supposed to earn his love by doing nothing?_

Sighing, she too got into a cross-legged position. _Perhaps I shall attempt this meditation thing as well. How did that pig-boy describe it? Ah, yes, an 'exploration of the self'. How quaint. What did Ranma say? 'Question all assumptions'. I assume that would be a good place to start._

She laughed quietly at her own joke, and the closed her eyes. _Now, what should I think about? The nature of commoners and nobles? No, too distasteful after speaking with Ranma on the subject. How about Ranma himself? Yes, that sounds right._

Kodachi started simple, like Ryoga had suggested. _What is Ranma? A potential lover, husband. A brave, handsome man whom I deserve.__Why do I deserve him? Because I am a Kuno, of course!_

Somehow, this answer seemed insufficient. This was strange, as it never had been before. _I __deserve him because I am a martial artist as well. I deserve him because only my beauty and intelligence can match his bravery and skill. I deserve him because he deserves me._

That seemed satisfactory, but she continued on the line of thought anyway, hoping it would reveal the supposed importance of the exercise. _Why does he deserve me? Because he is the only one good enough for me, just as I am the only one good enough for him. Why is he the only one good enough for me? Because he is skilled and handsome..._ She had fallen into a circle. Circular logic was anathema according to Ryoga, even though she found a comforting stability in it, so she tried to find some break in the loop. _Hmm. Why are others_less_ deserving of him? Because they are not Kunos? _Again, insufficient. _Because they are less beautiful than me?_While Akane and the chef were both rather homely, the Chinese girl was a worthy rival in that department. _Because they are less skilled? _While she might claim otherwise, she could not say with certainty that she would win against any of her rivals – that was why they were rivals, after all. _Because I love him more?_

That answer was odd. _How do I know such a thing? I am convinced of my love, but my rivals seem just as convinced. I cannot simply assume that I do, as Ranma has told me not to._ She came to a realization. _I must explore the nature of my love for him._

_I love his form and beauty. But wait; I have never felt such love for a woman before, and yet I feel no less enamored of Ranma even when he is transformed. Could this be a function of the magic I have heard he has absorbed? No, it should only affect him. So his form and beauty seem secondary to whatever truly drives my love for him._

_I love his skill and honor. That seems closer to the truth, for such things do not change with form. But what would drive me to love him because he is skilled? Is that all I require? I have already ascertained that the pig-boy is skilled and, indeed, honorable, but I do not love him. Skill and honor cannot be the sole things that make me love him then._

_The answer seems to be in what separates Ranma from others. What is Ranma, then? He is a commoner. I love him despite this – or is it because of it? _That thought shocked her, and she spent some time mulling it over. _Indeed, his status as a commoner intrigues me. Why is this? I have been taught all I need to know about commoners – that they are inferior, and need to be guided by their superiors. What could possibly interest me about commoners?_

A second voice seemed to echo now, answering her questions without her bidding. _You find commoners fascinating because you have never truly believed that you are superior. You look at your brother and father and are disgusted by their simplistic, single-track minds. What is noble about them? What makes them better than the commoners? Nothing. Ranma is superior to them in every way._

_No!_ Kodachi fought against the voice, driving it back. _Nobility is everything! It is what makes this world spin, the dance of the elite moving around and around. Birth is what decides everything! Birth is what ultimately matters! I am superior!_

_You are nothing. You spend your time on fruitless pursuits, never achieving anything of worth. Ranma is different. He has dedicated himself to something, something that he knows he can never fully master. He'll never be the best, and yet he still strives for it. What do you strive for? There is no challenge for you in your current life, and you know it. School holds no difficulties; your gardening long ago degenerated into small-time tinkering that requires little effort, if any at all. You've mastered Martial Art gymnastics, yes, but you stopped once it ran its path. You are a sheep, doing what you are told and no more. A product of society._

_You are wrong! I am much more than that! I love Ranma! That makes me better than others!_

_Oh? So loving a commoner makes you better? What about this commoner makes him so special? Is it his skill? His beauty? No. You already know the answer. It is because he is noble – more noble than your father, more noble than your brother, and more noble than you. He's more of a noble than you'll ever be, with your pathetic gardening, and your even more pathetic 'love'._

Kodachi wilted under the assault of this inner part of her. _My love for Ranma is not pathetic! It is nobility incarnate!_

_What about your love is good? You've searched for love your entire life, but you've never understood it. You know this is true. You only want self-satisfaction, but love is about equality. You preen and dance, saying that by loving someone you are being generous and raising them up, but you can never change others – only yourself. To love someone you have to be equal by giving things up. One can never be superior – or else the love itself is inferior._

Kodachi said nothing back, unable to find a retort. She was lost in her own thoughts, blocked at every opportunity by a mirror, her own face smirking back at her. She wandered, trying to solve the mystery, but it always came back to superiority – the superiority of others.

With a gasp, she opened her eyes and found herself in the clearing again. Ranma and Genma were still meditating, and hadn't moved. Kodachi breathed heavily, terrified of closing her eyes again, unable to force herself even to blink.

_Was that meditation? Self-exploration? What a horrible practice. Such self-inflicted pain. _Despite herself, though, despite the terror, the shame, even, coursing through her, she felt... cleaner. Like a small bit of her had been sliced off, a bit of her she hadn't wanted or needed. Again, she found the teachings of a noble against her experiences – 'one must never bend or give on any issue, for otherwise one's nobility means nothing'. But she had been defeated, by herself no less – and her nobility seemed much less important now.

_What do I do? Where do I find answers? Must I brave that wilderness again, face the thorny words and the harsh path? I cannot last in such an environment._

The inner voice echoed one last time. _That is what defines nobility..._

Kodachi straightened, and then breathed out. _I see now. Nobility is made, not given. I must make it myself, through my own will._ She smiled, then. _This realization brings me one step closer to Ranma. I must continue, and find my own way to true nobility._

Then she frowned. _Does this mean I have given up on nobility by birth? But where does that leave my family, if birth means nothing?_

_Where does that leave me?_

* * *

On the very outskirts of Nerima, far away from the usual stomping grounds of the various martial artists that lived there, a man walked down a street. Neither the man nor the street was particularly impressive – unless one counts exceedingly normal features as such. The shops this man passed were small time, and old; they carried the nick-knacks that the locals occasionally required, and were the kind of stores that had regular customers on a regular schedule, and required little other business. The pavement was worn, but clean; the alleyways dirty, but empty and unremarkable. All-in-all, if one were to look at the scene with their eyes, they would see nothing out of the ordinary. 

But if one looked with senses other than their eyes, used the instincts that all creatures have, the intuition that most humans end up ignoring in order to survive, the scene would become quite different. The man, who sole remarkable feature was an unremarkable cape, would cease to seem so ordinary – his countenance would darken, the laugh lines marking his face morphing into cruel creases, physical manifestations of the scars his soul bore. Hie eyes, once bland orbs in a flat face, would become hawk-like, seeing through all illusions and marking all weaknesses. His clothing would seem both more regal and less well-kept, almost changing shape to become a costume more fitting a warlock or a demon-summoner than an ordinary looking man.

Which was entirely appropriate, for that was exactly what he was.

Kondi Xia Nia stepped out to face him jerkily, the compulsions Happosai had burned into his skin making him do as he had been programmed to. The man stopped, and Kondi Xia Nia did as well, so that they were facing each other in an empty street. The shop owners seemed to have gotten word of the strangely horrifying man's coming and closed shop early, and not a single shopper was in sight. Kondi Xia Nia bowed, reluctantly; he hadn't been expecting _this_ man to be the next operative the old men would send.

"I bear a message for you, from Happosai." Kondi Xia Nia gritted his teeth while he spoke, doing his best to resist despite the thoroughness with which Happosai had imprinted him, and the man picked up on the signs and smirked cruelly."

"I see," the man said, his voice emphasizing everything arrogant and unbending about his aura.

"Happosai says," Kondi continued, panting, "that you should leave and never come back, or the old men are going to regret stepping on his toes. He says, 'remember what happened last time you stepped on my toes, and imagine me acting like you'd actually attacked me.'"

The man threw back his head and laughed, and Kondi Xia Nia narrowed his eyes. He'd never liked this man before, and he didn't like him now – the laugh said it all, like he truly believed that he deserved to rule the world.

After he had finished, the man crossed his arms on his chest. "I will pass on the message. Is there anything else?"

Kondi Xia Nia relaxed immediately, free from his compulsion. "No, thank god."

With an almost imperceptible flick of a hand, one of the man's wrists was slit open, and blood sprayed into the air. Instead of obeying the laws of gravity, it rose high into the air, and then shot straight down, splattering into a pentagram surrounding Kondi Xia Nia. After a second the lines were thick and unbroken, and the man's bleeding stopped, he looking none the worse for it. "Then it is time you were disposed of."

Kondi Xia Nia's eyes widened in shock, and he vainly tried to escape. "What the hell are you doing!? I did what I was asked to do, and temporary stint as a messenger or not, I've played my part well!"

The man shook his head, clearly delighting in the confusion and panic on his victim's face. "It was already decided that this would be your last assignment. You're getting too old, and know too much – but you're not skilled enough to be afforded a place on the Council, so you must disappear. I will enjoy making you do so."

He snapped his fingers, and the inside of the pentagram, for a brief moment, was filled with hellfire. Kondi Xia Nia screamed as his flesh burned during and after that moment, but when the fire was gone he was no longer standing – he was being gripped in the enormous paw of a ten foot-tall devil, with bone wings and a smoky aura. Its eyes were black, with white irises, and despite appearing as if its skin was stretched over bone with no intervening muscle, it radiated terrible power, and madness. "I have been summoned, and obey as per my contract. What is it that you wish?"

"I will require extended services over the next month or so, starting with you devouring that man that you hold."

The devil grinned, baring pointed teeth. "Gladly."

As Kondi Xia Nia was noisily consumed, the man pondered on what to do next. Disappearing in a brief blur, he reappeared on the roof of a nearby building, and looked far into the distance. He seemed to find something of note, as he nodded before coming back down to the street as quickly as he had left it.

"I believe I have found our targets," he said to the devil, who was licking his fingers. "The plan will be a cautious one, so restrain your fervor until I say otherwise; remaining undetected is favorable." When the devil started to pout, the man grinned; his smile was, somehow, even more frightening than the devils. "Do not worry; you will be able to drink your fill of power before this month is over."

He snapped his fingers again, and the devil disappeared into thin air. Its presence still hovered around the area, though, masked somewhat by its summoner's own. The man began walking again; as he passed by the bloody pentagram, he waved a hand and a fire sprung up, burning away the evidence.

The man hardly seemed to be thinking about what he was doing, instead focusing his eyes into the distance, on the approaching prize. "Yes, I will let you drink on Ranma Saotome's power, and his friends as well. And when you have, I will finally have enough to fulfill my own plans. Soon, yes, soon. Soon, everything will be mine, as it rightfully should be."

Even after he had disappeared into the distance, the overbearing presence of what had happened remained. It would for years to come, and the street would become known for the chills it sent down your spine. As the already all-too-few customers dwindled to nothing, shops would close; entrepreneurs would come, unwilling to believe in things like curses, but sooner or later they'd be convinced. Eventually, it became a ghost street, a place that children dared each other to walk through and politicians pretended didn't exist. Through it all would be the legend of the ghost that haunted it, a little old man with incredibly virile hair and a perpetually sad expression. He would come up to you, and if you didn't look carefully, you would never realize that you could see through his body.

He would beckon for you to lean over, and you would, because something about him told you that he was harmless. He'd get close, right next to your ear; if you hadn't realized what he was by then, you'd shiver as an unearthly chill enveloped your body. Then he'd whisper, so quietly that you felt like he and you were the only people in the world. The way he said it, you'd believe he'd just imparted the greatest, most potent advice in the world.

"Don't _ever_ be the messenger!"


	7. Double or Nothing Hah! Pure Brilliance!

This is my last posting before returning to college. They will get rarer now, I am sad to say.

* * *

"Tendo-san?"

Akane jerked back to wakefulness as the teacher called her name. "Wha? Huh?"

The math teacher, a boring middle-aged man who had a collar perpetually stained with sweat, wiped his brow for what must have been the five hundredth time and frowned at her. "Tendo-san, you are remarkably inattentive today – have, in fact, been that way all week long. Perhaps you have finally crossed the line and spent a little too much time with Saotome-san?"

Akane rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry, sensei, it's been a... tough week."

The teacher sniffed. "If you are experiencing difficulties at home, you must have your parent or guardian call in and inform us of them. As it is, you have no excuse. Now, would you perhaps like to answer this question? Please, Tendo-san, enlighten us as to what _x_ is in this triangle."

Akane starred blankly at the chalkboard for a full five minutes before the teacher called on another student in disgust. Sitting back down, Akane tried to pay attention but found it impossible; her thoughts just kept wandering.

Normally she'd be mortified by her inability to answer the relatively simple problem, but school seemed so distant right now, so... unimportant. She'd gone through a similar phase before, back when her father had first started teaching her the specifics of the Tendo School. She'd gotten through it then, and she'd get through it now, but at the moment she couldn't focus on anything but the new techniques she was learning. It was just so, so... so special, so different from what she had begun to expect out of life. She had always claimed to be a martial artist, but she didn't often feel like one – and she had never felt more empowered than she did right now. Her father teaching her was the best thing to happen, well, _ever_.

She _did_ have problems, though. She would be the absolute _last_ to admit it, but she'd been, well, certifiably insane for the last six years. She might pretend to herself that it was different, but a voice in your head was not a sign of a healthy mind. Not that anyone had ever gotten the slightest hint that a voice was telling her to do things – she was _perfectly_ in control of the situation, thank you very much. Or at least, she had been.

The voice was gone now. That, in and of itself, was such a huge shock that she'd have been unable to focus on school if they started teaching surefire ways to make your cooking delicious. She'd gotten used to battling against the urges and suggestions it gave her – never strong, but always, _always_ there. Now, those urges had almost disappeared; they hovered at a comfortable distance, where satisfying or denying them was a simple, effortless task.

It was very strange. For the first time in a long while Akane felt the need to catch people's attention, felt the need to be attractive not only to her fiancé, but just in general, _without_ the need to stuff that urge into a corner far, far away, where no one would ever find it. The worst part was, she didn't know if her previous behavior was right and moral, or if her current situation was better. She was, after all, insane. She knew that. Was ashamed of it – had been ashamed of it? Was the fight finally over? Could she possibly afford to hope for such a thing?

The bell rang, and Akane sighed in relief. She didn't even bother to pretend to be civil, and rushed out of the classroom. The teacher gave her a dirty look, but she didn't care what he thought – she didn't care what _anyone _thought, as long as she could continue learning martial arts.

Her long time friend Yuka managed to catch up, concern on her face. "What's wrong, Akane? The math teacher was right; you've been acting odd all week."

Akane smiled back, a little embarrassed. "Well, my father's started teaching me martial arts again. It's kind of distracting."

Yuka blinked for a second, and then nodded vigorously in understanding. "Oh, right, I remember what you were like back in primary school. For a while there you constantly announced that martial arts were way better than education whenever a teacher challenged you on your grades. How'd long it last, two months?"

Akane nodded, blushing. "Yeah, about. It's embarrassing, but no matter how I look at it, I'm acting the same way now. Hopefully I'll get out of it sooner rather than later."

The two continued chatting about Akane's martial arts while they made their way outside, Akane trying to explain what made the Tendo School special without revealing any particulars, as her father had forbidden that. The conversation came to a halt, however, when they reached the yard, finding Tatewaki Kuno standing between them and the gate.

Akane stepped forward, growling. "I've been wondering when you'd act, Kuno. Ever since you found out about Ranma I knew you'd eventually announce your intentions to me."

Yuka gasped. "He _figured Ranma out?! _Say it isn't so!"

Kuno stood tall. "It is, indeed, the truth. My dear sister brought me the news, and while I was hesitant to believe at first, eventually the evidence overwhelmed me."

Akane smirked. "Considering it's you we're talking about, there must have been a mountain of the stuff.

Kuno frowned and took a stance that was halfway between chivalry and idiocy. "My faith in the Pig-Tailed Goddess was strong, but my faith in my sister in such a matter as this was greater. In the end, my faith was false, and my love falser still. Now, however, I can finally declare my uninhibited love to you, Dearest Akane!"

Akane groaned. "Why do I not like the sound of that?"

Kuno removed an envelope from his kendo gi, and opened it to reveal a _lot_ of pictures, easily over a hundred. From the quick glance Akane got at them, it was clear what they were: risque pictures of _her_, doubtlessly courtesy of Nabiki and a bunch of cash. "My love, now that I can once again dedicate all of my glorious being and frighteningly impressive willpower towards dating you, it is only fair that others be driven similarly. I have decided that the best way to remind the commoners here of your beauty is by showing them your true self, the self you show when you are alone and uninhibited by the barriers we put between ourselves and others. Thus, today is the day that Furinkan High is shown the true brilliance of the Angel that is Akane Tendo!"

Panicking, Akane dashed forward, but couldn't even get close before he had thrown the envelope into the air, pictures instantly spilling out and fluttering everywhere. When she saw Kuno start to pull out another folder, she became torn; she desperately needed to stop people from seeing those pictures, but she also needed to stop Kuno from pulling out more – the single glance she had gotten of them had shown them to be of her in just a bra and panties, if that. Pick up the pictures and let Kuno throw worse ones out, or accept the unacceptable and let people see the relatively less risque ones?

The familiar tension she'd been living with for years came back as she shoved her embarrassment as far down as it could go and rushed towards Kuno. The nice balance she'd achieved disappeared in her rage against Kuno, and she desperately moved to stop him; swordsman that he was, Kuno could move his hands _very_ fast, and only her immediate action prevented him from tossing the second batch of pictures into the air – 'immediate action' being one hand to the envelope and one fist to his jaw, which sent him to the ground unconscious. Fumbling the envelope slightly, she spilled the pictures onto the ground, but she had them up in seconds before anyone could see them.

There was a deathly silence while Akane did this, and she put on a strained smile. _Oh, crap. They must have been worse than I thought._Turning around, she braced herself for the leering stares and hungering gazes. "I-"

There were no pictures. Everything had been gathered up while they'd still been in the air, and everyone's shocked gazes were directed towards her – or rather the _other_ her.

Staring straight at Akane was Akane, perfectly copied down to the rip in her school uniform she'd hastily repaired that morning. The doppelgänger was wearing a huge smirk that looked completely out of place on Akane's face, and the way she held herself could only be described as 'slutty'. Kuno's pictures were packed into the envelope in the doppelgänger's, and her copy was holding onto them tightly.

Akane was surprised, but it wasn't the first time she had faced herself – or even her second. "Who are you, and what do you want?" she asked with hostility in her voice.

Yuka sidled over. "She came out of _you_, Akane. You just, well, split into two, and while you punched Kuno, she gathered the pictures."

The doppelgänger's smirk grew even wider. "That's right, Akane. I'm a part of you. I just _had_ to gather up these pictures, delicious as they are; I couldn't just let them fall in the dirt, now could I?"

Akane gasped in horror as a hint of the truth came to her. "Ranma!? Oh my god, it's you! No, no, no, you _can't_ be let out!"

The doppelgänger laughed wickedly. "I've told you before, and I'll tell you again, Akane – I'm _not_ Ranma, I'm you!" With a quick motion, she ripped open her blouse. "Does _this_ look like Ranma?!"

The boys in the yard began hooting, and Yuka gave Akane a worried look. "What's going on, Akane?"

Akane snarled. "You know how I'm always complaining about how there's no one my skill level to spar with around here?"

Yuka nodded, giving out a terrified whimper at the frenzied expression on the real Akane's face.

"Well, I just found my self the best punching bag in the universe."

Yuka winced at the pun and turned away – which was good, because what Akane proceeded to do to herself was unmentionable violent. Even the boys turned away in disgust.

Today was not a good day to be Akane.

* * *

Konatsu watched as Akane commenced beating herself up in the most vicious manner the ninja had ever seen. Truly, he didn't know which was good and which was evil, if the second Akane was indeed an evil twin like he thought she was. _It always goes that way in those wonderful comics that Ukyo-sama gives me_.

Thinking of Ukyo reminded him of the progress he had made with Ryoga. To think, that developing a God Seed had not only been within the grasp of people like Ranma, Ryoga, Ukyo-sama and, it seemed, Akane, but himself as well! _Ukyo-sama will be so proud!_ Or she would be, if she ever found out, but Konatsu wasn't planning on letting her do so. With his skills as finely honed as they were now, enhanced by his new abilities, it would be a long time before Ukyo managed to figure out that Konatsu was secretly following her.

_These God Seeds are fierce indeed, though. First Ukyo-sama's amazing life-giving ability, then Ryoga's frightening power, and now even Akane has developed this ability._ Konatsu looked closely. _They're like my clones, but much more real and independent. This could bear study._

In his search for his master he'd checked at the restaurant first, but Ukyo, along with all of her creations, hadn't been present, so Konatsu had checked several other places before heading to the school, the last place he could think of where Ukyo might have been. Now, at a loss, he'd decided to go back to the restaurant and wait, in hope of her quick return. He wasn't that worried about her safety – Ukyo-sama wasn't so weak as to fall victim to a bunch of gingerbread man, even if they were Ki-imbued paragons of evil – but she might be inconvenienced, or hurt, or unhappy. And, of course, the predictably unpredictable could happen and she'd become the target of some martial artist bent on revenge against Ranma. If that happened, Konatsu would have to defend his mistress, and then cater to her every need in reparation for her failure as a ninja. He'd been practicing his massage skills on Ryoga in preparation, and was proud to say that he'd succeeded in slightly loosening the muscles of, without a doubt, the tensest boy on the planet.

Arriving at the back entrance like a silent gust of wind (carrying the gently fragrant scent of green tea), Konatsu ghosted into the restaurant – only to find Ukyo there, stirring a pot of boiling water with focus on her face. Breaking his stealth without thought, Konatsu charged in, crying. "Ukyo-sama!"

Ukyo looked up and rolled her eyes when she saw Konatsu weeping openly. "It's only been three days since I told you to leave, idiot."

Konatsu continued to cry. "I'm so sorry, Ukyo-sama. I wasn't skilled enough to watch over you in secret, so I was forced to hone my skills with the help of Ryoga over the past three days. I was so worried that something would happen to you!" Pausing, Konatsu looked around. "Are, are those horrible gingerbread men gone now, Ukyo-sama?"

"Oh, those. No, they're in my pocket here." Ukyo patted her apron.

Konatsu got on his knees. "Please, Ukyo-sama! Dispose of them immediately! They are deceiving you!"

Ukyo sniffed. "Of course they are. I knew that from the beginning."

Konatsu blinked. "You, you did? Then, why did you ask me to leave?"

"Because you were getting uptight about my creations. I heard that conversation you and that first gingerbread man had; how _dare_ you speak as if you had the right to judge whether or not my creations should be destroyed!" Ukyo's gaze was smoldering.

Prostrating himself, the ninja quaked with shame. "Oh, Ukyo-sama! Forgive me! I'll never presume upon your judgment again!"

"Good," Ukyo said simply. She returned to the concoction she was brewing, a soup of some sort. What looked like a variety of grasses and, possibly, herbs, floated around, giving the otherwise clear water a tint of green and blue coloring.

Raising himself slowly, Konatsu looked up at his master. "Ukyo-sama, if I may be so bold, why did you keep the gingerbread men if you knew they were so foul tempered?"

"I wanted to see if I could change their personalities. Unfortunately, while everything I make seems to be completely loyal, they also all seem to be maniacally homicidal in their attempts to carry out my orders. I found a good use for them, though."

Konatsu raised an eyebrow. "What is that, Ukyo-sama?"

Reaching into her apron, she pulled out a gingerbread man, who was struggling furiously but futilely.

"Please," it said pitifully, "please, no!"

Ukyo ignored it, and raised it up. Konatsu stared in horror as she casually bit off its head, instantly stopping its struggles.

"U-Ukyo-sama! You, you just bit off a sentient creature's _head!_"

Ukyo shrugged. "Spend three days with these things and sentience no longer seems like such a great thing. They taste great, though. Maybe it's just that I hate them that much, but feeling them go limp as I bite through them feels _so_ good. Like I'm fulfilling some primal carnivore instinct." She finished the rest of the little man, and then pulled out another. "Want one?"

Fighting back bile, Konatsu shook his head vehemently.

"Your loss." Ukyo bit off the cookie's arm's and legs, making it give out pathetic screams, before swallowing it whole. Konatsu could hear it's cries suddenly get cut off as Ukyo closed her mouth, grinning like a cat. "It's immensely satisfying. Those things tried to burn my hair off, you see." Ukyo's expression suddenly turned fiercely angry. "My _hair! _My hair's one of my most important facets! Without it I'd be half the woman I am now!"

Konatsu bowed low again. "As you say, Ukyo-sama. I will make sure to be extra careful with your hair from now on. Would you like a massage?"

Ukyo gave Konatsu an odd look at the sudden offer, but nodded. "Yeah, I would. This herb tonic still has to boil for another thirty minutes, so I've got time. It's amazing what kind of properties these Chinese herbs have if prepared properly; Shampoo knows so much lore, I'm amazed that _she's _jealous of _me_ for having such a lame God Seed!"

She continued on to explain what the soup was made of and what each herb did, in great detail. Konatsu didn't really listen as he began to massage Ukyo's shoulders; he was too busy imprinting a new rule into his ninja code.

_Never Harm Ukyo-sama's Hair, Never Harm Ukyo-sama's Hair, Never Harm Ukyo-sama's __Hair..._

* * *

Ranma dragged his tired self down the street as the sun set. _His_ tired self, finally, but tired nonetheless. It had taken three days full of nothing but meditation to finally figure out how to control the toggle for his curse, but he'd finally managed it, and was he _grateful!_

Not that he really minded being female, now. It was a natural extension of himself; whether his comfort with it was due to magic or to an acceptance of his curse didn't really matter. No, he'd just missed being a guy. Yeah, people expected different things of girls, but they also expected different things of _guys_, too. For some reason, his pops had started expecting him to be cleaner, as if becoming a girl would suddenly make him want to be clean. A demonstrably homosexual girl, even. Stereotypes ran deep in some people, even if they were fighting against them.

Even his pops had been surprised, though, when Ranma had figured out that his God Seed's qualities weren't fueled by deific energy, like everyone else's, but by magic. That hadn't taken that long, actually; what had been difficult was figuring out, on his own, how to create magical energy. In the process, though, he'd found out that his transformation between male and female was less of of a switch and more of a 'groove' in a much larger surface – easier to stay on the established path, but if he managed to move himself out of that groove, who knew what would happen? It was definitely worth investigating.

Speaking of things to investigate... Kodachi had left after that first day and hadn't come back. She'd seemed really spooked; by what, Ranma had absolutely no clue, but he hoped it wasn't his fault. If she dropped martial arts because of something he did, he'd feel terrible. Ah, well. She _was_ a Kuno. No matter what, she'd rebound sooner or later.

Now it was finally time to take a break, a _real_ break. His last visit to the Tendo house had, while comforting, been more of a constant errand run than anything else. Now, though, he could relax. Well, he could if people would let him. As long as no one challenged him/tried to seduce him, Nabiki contained her ambitions, and Akane her temper, he'd be good.

Right.

It was with a heavy and hopeless heart that he approached the door to the Tendo House. Strangely, he could hear music from inside, as well as a lot of people moving around. _What, are they having a party or something?_

He knocked on the door, and cringed inside when Akane was the one who opened it. _Somehow, I'm going to get hit. My instincts tell me so._ "Hey Akane, what's going-"

He trailed off, stunned to see _another_ Akane behind the first. The one at the door was smiling sweetly, the kind of expression that made him remember why he hadn't run out on the arranged marriage already. The one behind her, though...

...was dancing. Or at least, was trying to dance. It was some fast-paced thing, and she held a rose in her mouth with enough bravado to fool almost anyone into thinking she had it mastered, but her moves made it obvious that she was still learning it. Aside from her lack of skill, she was clearly mimicking some sort of training video on the TV.

Then_another_ Akane came out of the kitchen, humming to herself as she enthusiastically placed a pot on the table. Black steam broiled out of its top and spread over the table (how Akane managed these impossible feats he didn't know), while yet _another_ Akane followed the third, looking thoughtful and holding a notepad, which she was madly scribbling on.

Ranma looked at the first Akane helplessly. "What the hell is going on!?"

Akane maintained her gentle smile, strongly reminding Ranma of Kasumi. "It's wonderful, Ranma. I've developed a God Seed too, and it lets me split myself up. Let me guide you to who's who. Oh, by the way, I'm the gentle part of Akane that wants to be a good housewife. You can recognize me by my blue pin; we'll get something more permanent made later."

As he was pulled inside, Ranma shook his head, attempting to clear the fog of confusion that his exhaustion was only making denser. "Wait, you're what? A part of Akane? And, you, you got a God Seed? I, I..." Ranma realized his voice was cracking and took a deep breath. "Could you, uh, start from the beginning?"

Akane Blue nodded calmly. "The day that you found out you had a God Seed, everyone else found out that they were close to getting God Seeds as well. I was delighted, and Nabiki helped convince daddy to teach me, so I started getting some actual training. It was wonderful. But this afternoon, Tatewaki tried to do something awful, and I ended up splitting myself in two in order to deal with the problem." A troubled expression grew on Akane Blue's face. "That ended up being quite the problem itself, as I accidentally split into my repressed sex drive and my furious anger. I still remember the shock when my two halves became one again, and I suddenly experienced all of that violence from the other perspective. I can't believe I was so horribly brutal..."

An Akane yelled out from the dojo. "Hey! There's no need to reveal information like that!"

"I would have done it anyway," Nabiki said, appearing from upstairs. "Akane Pink, as I've taken to calling her, is right now furiously taking pictures of herself. The amount of money I'm going to make is staggering."

Ranma was even more perplexed than before. "Huh? Why would Akane accidentally split into her sex drive?"

Akane Blue's smile seemed to encompass everything as she patted him on the shoulder. "You don't need to worry about that, Ranma. Anyway, when we came home, I immediately started practicing, and found I could split into aspects of myself. Akane Orange over here," she said, drawing Ranma's gaze to the dancing Akane in the living room, "is the part of me that always wanted to pick up interesting hobbies, while Akane Green," she continued, pointing toward the Akane who had been handling the 'food', "is the one who wants to cook. Akane White is the scholastic side of me, and she's taking notes on cooking, in case that helps."

Akane Blue gently led Ranma to the dojo. "Aside from Akane Pink, the last two are these: Akane Red and Akane Yellow."

Two Akanes were sparring, one enthusiastic taking the offensive and the other cautiously defending. The defending one's eyebrows furrowed, but she didn't take her attention off her opponent as she called out, "I thought we'd agreed that I wasn't Yellow!"

Akane Red, Ranma assumed, smirked as she drove forward even harder. "It's what you are, so get used to it!"

Akane Blue nodded amicably. "Yes, Akane Yellow is sort of cowardly. She's very cautious, though, so she's a good training partner. Akane Red, as you can see, is my anger. I'm still trying to figure out how to isolate one part of my personality without turning my real self into a simplistic aspect, but it's still very useful. I'm getting so much work done!"

Ranma nodded cautiously. After spending so much time training with deific energy, he could recognize it at a glance – and while Akane's deific energy was different, as it should be, it was certainly there. She did, indeed, have a God Seed. In fact, everyone but Akane Blue was a construct made of the stuff. "Have any of your clones touched anyone yet, Akane?"

Akane Blue blinked. "Well, no. I'm surprised you believe me. It took me hours to convince Nabiki."

Smirking, Ranma approached the two sparring Akanes. "I've been training with my God Seed for a week and a half. It'd be stupid of me _not_ to believe you." He stopped in front of Akane Red, who starred at him oddly. "Hey, Red. Stop fighting for a second."

Akane Red paused, and then gave him a feral grin. "Make me!" she said as she charged him.

As she got close, Ranma sidestepped and placed a hand firmly on her side. A little too close to her butt for comfort, but she was moving pretty fast. Focusing, he confirmed that she was, indeed, a portion of Akane's Seed cut off from the source, and then he dispelled it with a burst of his own deific energy, sending the fraction hurtling back into Akane Blue

Akane Blue, of course, immediately became furious. "How dare you touch me there, you pervert!" With a cry, she leaped at Ranma, who barely dodged it before dashing over and dispelling Akane Yellow as well.

Akane Red (Purple?) jerked in response as another piece came back, but still stayed angry. Ranma fled into the dining room, where he dispelled Orange, White, and Green, before heading upstairs to get Pink with a still-furious Akane on his tail.

He had the sense of mind to change into a girl before charging into Akane's room, as Akane Pink might be embarrassingly clothed; even though she had lived with Ranma's curse for a long time, Akane would still feel better about being seen in such a state if a girl saw her rather than a boy.

Akane Pink wasn't embarrassingly clothed, though. She wasn't clothed _at all_. Ranma couldn't help but blush at the sight of a completely naked Akane posing in front of a timed camera. Akane Pink turned around and smiled seductively at Ranma. "Oh, _hello_ Ranma. I've always wondered if I would be attracted to you as a girl. Now's a good time to find out!"

Nose bleeding, Ranma quickly dispelled Akane Pink just as Akane came bursting into the room. She looked confused for a second, but no longer angry, so Ranma gave a sigh of relief as she wiped her nose and tried to make it stop bleeding through pure willpower. "Feeling better, Akane?"

Akane blinked. "Y, yes. Did you just see me naked?" She blinked again. "You did. Why am I not angry about it?"

"Probably because you became whole again. I'm sure you'll figure it out. First, though- you shouldn't use your God Seed so recklessly! Your copies were made of deific energy, and deific energy is intensely poisonous to anyone but yourself. If you touched anyone, you'd... I have no idea what could happen. At best, nothing. At worst, you'd kill them. Or explode, or something."

Akane frowned. "What's deific energy?"

Ranma sighed. _This is going to take a while..._

* * *

Mary yawned as the history teacher monotoned on and on about the American civil war. Aside from already knowing more about it than the teacher thanks to being an American herself, the St. Bacchus school, despite being an expensive private school, had terrible teachers. All the students learned the material with private tutors, who taught far more efficiently; school was a place for students to compete with each other, not to learn, and the teachers knew this, so they put zero effort into their jobs. It was an absurd system – but then, everything these so called 'nobles' did was absurd to one degree or another.

Since not all families prescribed to home tutoring, the school provided tutors to those who requested them, and this was what Mary did. That was how she was learning so many languages. As a boarding student the school gave her a generous allowance, and she was using most of that to pay for the tutors; the rest she spent on the few necessities she required and the occasional luxury. If Kodachi pulled through, Mary might be able to sign up for a few more classes. She might even be able to get her high-school credits early and start working on her supplementals.

That was only if Kodachi was happy with her work, though. And since she hadn't appeared for three days, that was starting to look questionable. Mary was much more focused on what her plans would be if Kodachi decided she hadn't fulfilled her part of the bargain. She was currently debating the 'rough' approach that had worked last time, versus just running. Kodachi might have a romantic image of the 'gutsy commoner', but that would only work so many times.

The door to the classroom suddenly opened, and the teacher paused to look over. He opened his eyes for a moment in shock, and then shrugged his shoulders and waved the intruder in. Mary nearly laughed out loud as she watched Kodachi walk in, dressed in a stylized gothic version of the student uniform; a couple of students weren't as restrained, and drew cold glares from Kodachi as they burst into hysterics.

The current uniform (it got changed every other month, as students with particularly powerful pull on the school requested this or that fashion) was supposed to be a navy blue knee-length skirt with a white blouse and lighter blue jacket on top of that. Kodachi's skirt was black, with thin white stripes in the cracks and folds to draw the eye, and the blouse was black as well, with white buttons and various geometric stitchings. The jacket was a vest, about half white and and half black. The way it was arranged the black clearly dominated, the white only serving to be the in the places you weren't looking. Kodachi herself had thick eyeshadow, was wearing black pearl earrings, and had black face paint drawn from her eyes as if an inky tear had crawled down her cheek. Black nail polish, white socks and black high heels completed the picture.

While she was beautiful – Kodachi wasn't ever _not _beautiful – it really didn't suit her. Well, the colors did, but the mood it was attributed to jarred really strongly with what Mary knew Kodachi was like – arrogant, bull-headed, and crazy, but _never_ the victim. Apparently Kodachi thought differently, because right after she glared at those who had laughed, she threw back her head and brought a hand to her forehead. "Oh, even here I am mocked and belittled!" she cried out melodramatically. "Will I never find the peace my heart cries for?!"

The teacher hunched his shoulders and sighed. "Please, Kuno-san, take your seat. A lesson is in progress."

Kodachi did so, flouncing down the aisle. Snickers accompanied her movements, but she seemed to absorb them, as if they only reinforced her beliefs and made her stronger. For the rest of the class Kodachi just stared out the window, occasionally sighing loud enough to make the teacher pause in his toneless monologue. No one listened to the teacher (not that they would have anyway), instead opting to chatter and gossip among themselves. The teacher seemed to take this in stride, and kept speaking anyway, not bothering to call on anyone to answer.

After class was over Kodachi went tearing outside, carrying a carefully, and poorly, constructed air of gloom with her. Mary, wondering what she had gotten herself into, ran up. "So, I take it things went badly with Ranma."

Kodachi slowly shook her head in a sad negative. "No, my meeting with Ranma was failed from the start. He is destined for one more worthy than I, and I... I am destined for no one." A tear rolled down her cheek, glistening over the sturdy waterproof paint she had applied to her face.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Please. No one's falling for this 'the world hates me' junk, so cut the crap and tell me what happened." _At least she doesn't seem to be blaming me._

Kodachi blinked. "Is this not the proper attire and attitude for one when everything goes wrong with one's life?"

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"Alas!" Again Kodachi swept her hand to her forehead. "On that fateful day, I discovered the truth of this dark, cruel world, and I-"

"_Enough._ If you don't stop, I'm going to have to knock some sense into you so that I can remedy your situation. Give it to me straight."

Kodachi stood straight, hands at her sides, and nodded. Then she glared, annoyed that she had obeyed without thinking. "As I was saying before you so _rudely _interrupted, I came to some disturbing revelations while watching Ranma meditate."

"He's got a fat butt?"

"No, fool! I began to ponder my love for Ranma, and found doubt within myself – not only for my love, but for my place in the world as well. When I brought my concerns to my father, he rebuked me most harshly, saying I had let the words of a commoner distract me from my true purpose." Kodachi seemed torn between anger at her father and genuine concern. "While I have never considered the advice of my father truly worth listening to, this time his incompetence only serves to deepen the rift growing within myself."

Mary crossed her arms, feeling tired already. "If I'm going to help you," _and get my money, _"you'll need to tell me what the problem is."

Kodachi looked at her askance. "I'm not sure I trust a com-" She stopped, and the restarted, looking slightly confused. "I'm not sure I trust _you_ with a problem of this magnitude."

Oh_, geez. How am I- Bingo! _"How about this: You upgrade me to your general advisor, and I promise to dedicate myself to solving _all_ your problems, not just your love related ones." Kodachi looked doubtful, so Mary tried a simpler approach. "If you pay me more, I'll definitely be more loyal, right?"

Kodachi nodded. "I see. We will discuss the particulars later, but first let us find someplace more... private."

Walking off at a brisk pace, Kodachi looked nervous as she led them to an isolated and empty classroom. "Well," Mary asked impatiently, "what's the fuss about?"

Kodachi sighed. "I have... begun to doubt the worth of aristocracy and the existence of nobility by birth."

Mary's eyes nearly jumped out of her sockets. "What!? The indomitable Kodachi, the most aristocratic of aristocrats, doubting the very societal construct that raises her above everyone else? What brought this on!?"

Kodachi glared. "I am superior to others for many other reasons, thank you very much!" Then she looked downcast again. "However, in exploring my love for Ranma, I came to the realization that it was his nobility that attracted me. In pondering this, I came to the realization that this was because I did not see the nobility in myself, nor did I see it in my family. My father, of course, did not take me doubting my family's nobility lightly, and has suspended my allowance. Thus, I am cut off from what is most important to me." She struck a dramatic pose again. "Without money, what can I do? One needs resources to accomplish anything of worth!"

_I hope this means I'll still get paid. _"So, what? This is just a problem of money? That's it?"

Kodachi nodded. "Of course. Why would I bother to announce my meanderings on the nature of aristocracy? At best it would make me a target of ridicule."

Mary leaned against the wall in exasperation. "So do you actually need anything from me?"

"Well," Kodachi said slowly, frowning as if her thoughts were strange and foreign, "I would, uh, appreciate a second opinion."

"On what? How terrible it is that you don't have money? Don't worry, I_completely_ agree. How long is you allowance suspended?"

"Insolent fool!" Kodachi said, smiling despite herself. She was starting to appreciate this commo- this girl's spunk. "I meant my ideas on nobility. And my allowance returns in a week, barring any further remonstration on my father's part."

"I don't know exactly what you've come up with," Mary said bluntly, "but 'nobility' has never seemed that important to me. And even if it was, I've never thought of it as something that's passed down through family. Americans think about these things a little differently than you Japanese do. Equal opportunity and all that."

Kodachi nodded. "Ranma thinks similarly, from what he had told me. I am not convinced of such a viewpoint, but I am starting to agree that nobility is an internal thing, cultivated by the self and not given to you by others. This changes everything, though. My life is never going to be the same."

"I thought I told you to stop being so melodramatic."

"This is not melodrama!" Kodachi slapped a hand down on a desk, her face a mix of anger and worry. "Do you know for what purpose I have been raised? I have always viewed it as my duty to marry another noble and keep the nobility of the Kuno line strong. Ranma seemed worth breaking that duty, for some reason – perhaps because I saw the nobility in him from the start – but I am not sure I would have gone through with marrying him if it had come down to it. My duty as a noblewoman is a refrain that I hear in my head at all times, so strongly has it been hammered into me – but now it no longer is applicable. Right after he told me my allowance was suspended, my father told me to stop chasing Ranma, as I would marry a rich nobleman once I came of proper age. I didn't even think to doubt such a future until hours after I had left his office – that was how strong these viewpoints have been drilled into me, how heavily I relied on them, and now they are gone! I have no idea where to proceed, what else can possibly take their place!"

Kodachi sat down, looking tired, and Mary did so as well, thinking on how to respond. After a few minutes, she spoke carefully, choosing her words. "I don't know much about you, Kodachi, but I do know that you have worth besides your nobility. You're intelligent – you should try relying on that to solve your answers. That's what I do. That's what most people do, really. Usually, the only reason you lean upon assumed viewpoints is because you aren't smart enough to figure out the answers yourself. Since you _are_ smart enough, you should take advantage of it."

"But that's..." Kodachi's face was weary, and her gothic make up seemed to fit her now. "That's exhausting. How can you bear such heavy responsibilities every day?"

"Look, Kodachi, this might surprise you, but when you don't have nobility by birth to base your sense of self on, you _have to find something else._ That's the way the world works. Get used to it, and move on."

Kodachi snapped her head up, the weariness disappearing as anger lifted her spirits. "You have no right to speak to me like that! I am Kodachi, and nobility or no nobility, you will address me with respect!"

Mary smirked. "That's better. See? Just persevere. You'll figure it out."

Kodachi's mouth was thin as her frustration was held in check by a small bit of gratitude. "Hmph. I suppose I should discuss your new position as High Advisor. Your pay will be 500,000 yen a week, but you will have additional duties as well. Since you will be my representative in all things, you will be required to attend me at all times, and while you are not a servant, I will require your wardrobe to be of sufficient quality and style as not to embarrass me..."

As Kodachi continued listing off additional items, Mary closed her eyes._Think of the money. That's almost 5000 dollars a week. A_week_. This is going to be worth it, even if I have to spend half of it on clothing._

"...You will also need to be capable of taking Mr. Green for walks, as it would be undignified for me to do so in public when I have a retainer at my side who is capable of the duty. I will take you to meet him this afternoon; I'm sure you'll get along wonderfully, just like my martial art instructor."

_Geez, I have to walk the dog, too? This _better_ be worth the money. Who names their dog Mr. Green, anyway? Probably some poorly dyed poodle..._

* * *

Happosai hummed as he made his was across the rooftops, collecting precious lingerie. _Wonder if the message's been delivered yet? Of course it has; that fool's probably run off for the vacation he so desperately wanted already. I wonder what kind of guy they sent next? And what the hell are they thinking, pushing their luck like this? They've never challenged me so openly before..._

He halted as he sensed something moving towards him through the night. Making sure his precious items were securely fashioned, he put them down and prepared to meet the intruder. When he caught a glimpse of who it was, though, he completely forgot about the lingerie.

It was a woman, dressed in the barest of leather clothing, so tight fitting that it should have cut off the circulation on a lesser being. But this was no human; the black bat wings that swept off her back told him as such, and her aura confirmed it; this was a demon, a succubus. "Why, hello there! What's a pretty thing like you doing in this part of town?"

The succubus smirked. She had long black hair and pure white skin, the two contrasting so well that her hand seemed to glow when she used it to arrogantly brush her hair back. "Old man, rejoice. You have been chosen to be my target, and I will pleasure you until your body can no longer handle the stress. It is a pleasant way to go; your last moments will be the greatest in your entire life."

Happosai cackled. "Girl, I'm the Demon of Lust. Haven't you heard the stories?"

The succubus seemed taken back. "The, the Demon of Lust!? Not the same creature that was targeted by a succubus and survived to tell the tale!?"

"'Survived'?" Happosai threw back his head and laughed. "Is that what that little minx told everyone? Truth is, I didn't just survive – I _won_. I worked that succubus to death and forced her back into hell, and let me tell you, seeing her disappear in a burst of smoke was one of the most depressing moments of my life!"

Blinking, the bat-winged woman stepped forward. "The Demon of Lust, huh? I hear you are perverted beyond belief, even by a demon's standards."

Happosai nodded eagerly. "That's right. If you can think of it, I've taken it to the next level with two people at once. Three, for some."

The succubus grinned. "That is good. I am Amath, of the highest level of succubus, and my kind survives on and takes pleasure from the perversions of mortals; as long as I am fueled, I will never fall. My only order is to keep you 'distracted'. I suppose my master will have to survive without my services for a while."

As the demon walked forward seductively, Happosai couldn't help but grin. _This is the best thing that has ever happened to me! Oh, _yeah!_ I wonder why this 'master' wants to keep me pinned down? The only reason I can think of would be so he can get his claws on Ranma and the others. Well, whatever. If a chick like this is going to do the pinning, I don't mind in the slightest!__Those little punks can go to hell for all I care!_

In the future, whenever he remembered that thought, Happosai would laugh at the irony, and ponder if he should have, perhaps, resisted falling into the trap.

Then he'd go find Amath, and forget everything again.


	8. Can't aim any higher than that!

* * *

Finally! Here's chapter 8. I apologize for how long this took; I've have little time to write anything lately. I'd like you all to know that it was looking through the reviews that got me the inspiration and motivation to finish this chapter. I really, really love what you've had to say to me so far - it's constructive, but nice at the same time!

I made up a name for the father of the Kunos!

Kichigai Kuno: Kichigai means mad, or madness. On top of that, it has several other translations by splitting it into 'kichi' and 'gai'. First, presumably the source of the full word, kichi = perception/understanding and gai = injury/harm. This is the only translation I'm absolutely sure about. Second, kichi can mean healthy, and gai mean obstinate, so 'healthy obstinacy' – or obstinately healthy. It can also mean 'well-known guy' (if you let 'gai' become the English 'guy', which is actually quite common in Japanese if you didn't know), and I'd say the father of Kodachi and Tatewaki is well known for _many_ things. These last two translations are of my own creation, and may not be correct – but since they make sense in the scope of the story, please suspend your disbelief.

That's todays Japanese lesson. Yay for Japanese! I love it, and I put it into my stories because of that. Please don't bother to tell me not to. I try to keep it to a minimum in any case, but I think it adds flavor.

* * *

As Ranma approached the Kuno residence he kept stopping and hiding, gripping his head and muttering to himself about how crazy he must be. "Damn that woman, trapping me like this! Pops is probably right; I should never have let her get under my skin!"

It had been a week since he'd last seen Kodachi, and he'd been unable to stand wondering if his words had somehow caused her a nervous breakdown any longer. She was a Kuno, after all; it wouldn't be so strange if one of them couldn't handle their world view being challenged. First was the realization of his curse, and something seemed to have changed when she watched pops and him meditate – probably a lack of confidence in her martial art ability, considering what Ranma had been telling her about how martial artists have to think. Ranma wasn't a crazy Kuno, and _he_ had problems when he doubted himself! Well, maybe he was a little arrogant when it came to his martial arts, but hey! The Kunos were way worse then he was!

Which was why he was heading to her house now, to see if whatever was bothering her was his fault. Preferably without letting anyone know he'd gone, including his father (or Kodachi!). Genma was busy teaching Akane and Soun the basics of the Tente Tensou Shushou, so that Akane wouldn't start exploding at inopportune moments, and so Soun could teach the supposedly imminent God Seed bearers how not to cause trouble. That way, Genma and Ranma could focus on training. Genma had been really surprised when Ranma had informed him that other people were developing God Seeds; when he found out it was Akane who Ranma wanted him to teach, he'd smirked and said, 'Good thing you're going to marry her, huh?"

Ranma had scowled and run off, saying he wanted to practice using his God Seed by himself for a while. He liked Akane, more so than all of his other fiancées, but he wasn't about to marry her. He'd been on the fence previously, but now his lifetime was going to be in the hundreds of years; he wasn't about to get hitched so early in his life!

He really had been practicing, but he was going to have to go back eventually, and was putting it off. As long as Genma, Soun, and Akane were all in the same place, they would be incessantly trying to get him to marry, Ranma knew it – even Akane, in her wonky, abusive way that somehow kept Ranma coming back for more (Why!? Why did he like her!? Was he a masochist, or something!?). After all, they were of the opinion that no one but another Seed bearer was going to be a suitable wife. _I wonder why pops married mom, then. I'm pretty sure that she doesn't have a God Seed..._

His thoughts were cut short when he reached the Kuno estate, its stone walls encircling a generous, but still believable plot of land. Judging from the way the Kunos wasted money, they could have had something a lot bigger, but it was probably some sort of ancestral home. _With the way that little ninja builds his traps, not much of the original remains, I bet. Funny that their most loyal servant is undermining part of their 'nobility'._

Thinking of the traps reminded him to be extra careful, and he inspected the wall thoroughly before mounting it in one leap. As he crouched low over the stone, he took a deep breath and assumed the signature stance of the Umisenken. While in it, no martial artist could detect him using their 'sixth sense', the ability that all martial artists of a certain caliber eventually develop. When he 'dropped off the radar', so to speak, and used his finely honed stealth skills (Getting in and out of a house without being detected is an essential skill for martial artists, boy – now go and get me something valuable!), it not only became impossible to sense him, it became difficult to even see him! Normally, a movement in the shadows would set off anyone's alarms, much less a martial artists, but when he was in the Umisenken stance, those alarms stayed silent – and Ranma remained unseen.

In using it, though, he was violating a pretty big vow he'd taken with Genma – but the circumstances had changed. With the revelation of Genma's God Seed and the man's lifelong failure to use it properly, Ranma had become doubly determined not to become like his father – so he'd decided that he wasn't going to let any styles he learned stay sealed unless he himself decided he wasn't ready for them. He wouldn't let his father's, well, _cowardice_ hold him down. He'd master the moves, and prove to his father that he could handle it, could handle _anything._

Ranma looked very carefully at the yard, trying to spot all the traps. He had no idea where Kodachi lived in the mansion, so he'd have to do some exploring. It wouldn't be that difficult to find her, though; while others couldn't sense him, he could definitely sense them if he got close enough. He picked his way through the dozens of traps that littered the lawn, some visible, some hidden in the darkness, and others camouflaged where the unsuspecting would step in order to avoid other traps. Sasuke was unbelievably thorough, but by now Ranma had become well acquainted with the unbelievable.

As he began stalking through the first floor, Ranma realized that there were four people in the house – either there were other visitors, or every member of the Kuno family was present, along with Sasuke. At least one person was on the first floor, he could tell, so he made his way toward them.

It turned out to be the family ninja himself, sharpening some knives in his private room. Ranma debated if he should approach, and decided it was worth the risk. He slid into the room, the Umisenken stance keeping Sasuke from detecting him, and kneeled before announcing his presence with a cough.

Sasuke jumped, hastily readying his knives as he turned, and then relaxed as he he recognized who it was – but only slightly. "Ranma Saotome. For what purpose have you come here?"

"I just... wanted to check up on something. All I want to do is ask some questions; if you can promise you'll stay quiet about it, I'll leave and trouble you no more on the matter."

The ninja frowned, and kept his knives up. "I promise nothing if it interferes with my duty to the Kuno family."

Ranma put his hands up and shook his head frantically. Getting into a fight would draw the attention of all the Kunos at once, something he did _not_ want. "No, no, no! I promise, it won't interfere!"

Sasuke stayed tense and still a moment longer, and then finally let his knives down. "Very well. I will answer your questions, on those conditions."

Ranma relaxed. "Good! Now, it's pretty simple. Kodachi has been acting a little... weird, lately, and on top of that I haven't seen her for a week."

Sasuke's eyes seemed to light up. "Are you worried about the mistress! This is wonderful news!"

"No, damn it! I just want to make sure that, if there's anything wrong, it's not my fault, okay!?"

Sasuke looked thoughtful. "I see. So you are the cause of her problems, then?"

Blushing, Ranma turned his head to the side. "That's what I'm here to find out! I haven't admitted to anything yet!"

Sasuke nodded. "The mistress had been doubting her existence as a noblewoman, and has been grounded by Master Kuno because of this. I assume you are the one to cause her such doubt?"

Ranma flinched. "Well, uh, maybe. And that crazy Hawaiian wannabe grounded her because of that?" He gripped his temples. "I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad that I made her change the way she thought so easily."

There was a noise from outside as someone approached. "Sasuke?" Kodachi called out. "Are you speaking to someone?"

Ranma hastily put a finger to his lips, and after Sasuke had nodded, quickly hid himself into the ceiling just as Kodachi opened the doors. "Sasuke, answer. Were you speaking with someone?"

"Yes, mistress," Sasuke said. "Ranma Saotome. He is in the ceiling right now."

Ranma nearly fell through in surprise, cursing as he made his way through the pathways built into the mansion. He _did_ fall through when he dodged away from a burst of spikes that seemingly came out of nowhere. _He traps his own secret passageways!?_

Kodachi whipped around when Ranma came crashing down, and then leaped in joy when she recognized who it was. "Ranma dearest! You have come to take me away!"

Still cursing, Ranma tried to pull out the splinters that had gotten lodged into his hands. "Not at all! I was just here to see if you were-" He hastily shut his mouth.

"He was worried about you, mistress," the ninja continued. "He was worried that your absence was his fault. When he found out it was, his words were, 'I don't know whether to rejoice that the lovely flower Kodachi has been moved by my words, or crushed that my actions have harmed that beautiful rose.'"

"That's not what I said at all, you traitor!"

Kodachi was nearly sparkling. "You were _worried_ for me, Ranma dearest? I, I cannot describe how happy this makes me!"

Ranma growled as he tugged at a particularly stubborn chunk of wood that was embedded in the back of his hand. "Who'd worry about a Kuno!"

Kodachi flinched. "I, I am more than just a Kuno!"

"That just not possible, little wahine!" Said a voice from the doorway.

Kodachi turned around. "Father!"

Kichigai Kuno, the father of Kodachi and Tatewaki, stood in the doorway. He was wearing his Hawaiian shirt, and the ever present palm tree was sprouting out of his head, but his face was serious in a way that Ranma had never seen. The large man was crossing his arms, and his eyes seemed to sparkle with something – whether it was madness or worry, Ranma couldn't tell. He wouldn't place any money on the second, though.

Kichigai took a single step forward, and the room seemed to shrink. His presence was strong here in his home, and seemed to say, 'this is a place that Kuno patriarchs have lived in the past, and will live in the future – who are _you_ to argue with me?'. It was strong enough that even Ranma felt the urge to scoot back a little – for Kodachi, who stiffened and held her ground only through determination and long experience, it must have been maddening.

Instinct made Ranma react to the challenge, standing up and getting in Kichigai's face. "What's _your_ problem, huh? Something wrong with me visiting the home of the people who make my life hell?"

Kichigai ignored him, though. "Kodachi, you lost all respect for Kuno name, haven't ya'? That not good, wahine, that not good! Kuno's need to be having respect for other Kunos, and need to be having respect for themselves!" He continued to stare condescendingly at Kodachi. "That Ranma boy from school been troubling ya', I see. He be putting strange ideas in your head, and that need to stop, ya'?"

A vein started throbbing on Ranma's forehead. "Oy, you big fat Hawaiian wannabe, if you want to say something about me, why don't you try saying it to my _face_. 'Cause otherwise, I'll have to _make_ you-"

"Father!" Kodachi called out. "How can it be wrong to think on the questions that Ranma has asked me? How can trying to find answers be wrong? If what you have taught me is correct, will I not reach the same knowledge on my own? Ranma has only been trying to help me – and I will not let you defame him so! I will defend his name from your slander!"

Ranma waved a hand between the two. "Hello? Crazy guy? Kodachi? I can defend myself just fine, you know. You don't need to-"

"You too young, wahine, too young! You try and puzzle life out, you get the wrong answers, and try stupid things! Right now, you starting to think like a commoner, but you a noble, a _Kuno! _Kunos don't think like commoners-"

"-you got that right-"

"don't _need_ to think like commoners! My father told me da' right way ta' think, and I be telling you now. When you get older, wahine, everything become clearer, I promise."

Kodachi was shaking in anger, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails had pit into her palms and drawn blood. "When I get _older!?_ Right now, I'm smarter and wiser than you'll _ever_ be, no matter _how_ old you get, and you're telling me that someday I'm just going to start agreeing with you? I think not! I have had enough of this house, this family, this _false nobility!_ I'm going to go live with Ranma, and _he _will show me the right way to live, not you! _He_ will show me the nobility you search for so desperately, but can never find!"

"Oy! OY! You can't just come and _live _with me, you crazy psycho, I don't even have a house to call my own! And I wouldn't let you in the door if I did! Stop deluding yourself!"

"I see," Kichigai said stiffly. "I see. You not the first Kuno to go down this path. Okay, wahine. You go do that. But while you gone, you no longer Kuno. I now disinherit you, Kodachi Kuno."

Kodachi spat on the floor. "That is perfectly fine with me!"

Kichigai paused to give the spit a brief stare, and then continued. "Go stay at that Ranma's place, go walk down your path. You no be happy in the end, but I guess you need to learn 'dat on your own. Goodbye, Kodachi." And with that, Kichigai walked out the door.

Kodachi trembled for a moment longer, and then turned around to Ranma, completely normal. "I am sorry you had to see that, Ranma-sama. Come, there is nothing I need from this stagnant hole. Let us retire to your abode."

Ranma gawked as she left through the doorway. He spluttered for a few seconds before turning to Sasuke, right eyelid twitching. "What is _wrong_ with these people!?"

Sasuke blinked back. "Whatever are you talking about?"

"Augh!" Ranma went outside as well, and then squawked as he accidentally triggered several different traps. "Son of a-"

Accompanied by an increasingly loud symphony of thuds and cracks as sharpened bamboo poles and large rocks began shooting all over the garden, Kodachi walked back into the room. "I must know," she said hesitantly, "if you are willing to accompany me, loyal Sasuke."

Sasuke bowed his head. "I am indeed the loyal Sasuke..."

Kodachi started smiling.

"...but I am loyal to the Kunos, not to you. I wish you success in your endeavors, Lady Kodachi, but I cannot accompany you."

The smile dropped off her face. "I... see. Then I believe this is farewell."

"I suppose it is, Lady Kodachi."

Kodachi seemed at a loss for words. She stared at the ninja, her gaze full of so many emotions that the air in the room seemed to shimmer, becoming thick with remorse and heavy with a lifetime of memories. "I..." she finally said, slowly and carefully, "I enjoyed spending time with you, Sasuke. You were an excellent ninja, and you carried out your duties faithfully and with a skill and fervor I believe will never be seen in the Kuno family again."

Sasuke bowed once again. "I am honored, Lady-"

"I am no longer a lady," Kodachi said hastily, rushing the words out like they burned her tongue, "and to call me such is a lie, now." She paused again, struggling with herself. "I want you to know, Sasuke..." She stopped again, obviously wondering if she should continue.

Sasuke made the decision for her. "Please continue, mistress. I will never be offended by anything you could say."

Kodachi took a deep breathe. "Now that I have considered the idea, I can think of no other person I would trust more. You have kept my secrets, have kept all of the Kuno's secrets, and never complained of your duties. But more than that, you have been there, supporting us when we, when _I_ needed you. We call ourselves nobles, but we relied on you. I want you to know, Sasuke, that you are the first person, and until recently the _only_ person, whom I would call a, a _friend_."

Sasuke blinked, and then bowed to the floor. "I am honored, Kodachi. I would also be honored if I could say the same thing to you."

Kodachi smiled, and brushed away a tear. "Do as you please." Then she whirled around and headed outside.

Sasuke stayed still for a moment longer, before bring out his knives again. With a steady determination and a timeless patience, be began sharpening them once more.

This time, though, he was smiling.

* * *

"Now, if you gather that feeling even tighter, it can be moved around inside your body. That is the key – containing your ki inside that emotion, and putting it where it needs to go." Konatsu flexed his arm, showing how his muscles suddenly strained the confines of the womanly clothing he was wearing. "With practice and skill comes the ability to replace bulky muscle with hidden ki. Your muscles must become accustomed to the feeling, and only over time will you be able to increase the enhancement."

Shampoo nodded eagerly. "I see, I see! This will help me greatly in my attempts to develop a God Seed! Thank you, Konatsu! You have been a wonderful teacher."

Konatsu blushed, and twisted in pleasure. "Oh, well, thank you! I'm glad I could help, since you seem to have gotten so friendly with Ukyo."

Shampoo's happiness died a little. "Well, I wouldn't call us 'friendly'. We're still rivals, you know."

Hiding a grin, Konatsu bowed. "Of course, Shampoo. Forgive my insolence."

"Well, no harm done, no harm needed, as the saying goes." Shampoo paused, looking confused. "No, that's not quite right... Ugh, this translation potion needs work, Ukyo!"

Ukyo didn't shift her focus from the monstrous cauldron in front of her as she responded. "No time to work on such low-scale things! Figuring out how to control minds!"

Shampoo frowned, and the whispered to Konatsu. "She's... changed a little, hasn't she?"

Konatsu nodded. "Yes, terribly. Her plans to get Ranma's attention have been getting wilder and wilder, as of late."

"Like how?"

"Well..." Konatsu looked at Ukyo worriedly. "I can't say anything about it, but her first step in her current plan is, well, slightly shocking."

Shampoo was getting more and more confused. "First step?" she asked, a little loudly.

Ukyo stuck her head out this time, eyes gleaming with a manic excitement. "Conquer Japan!"

Blinking, Shampoo stared at Ukyo for a moment. "What? Conquer Japan? How could you possibly do that? And more importantly, how would that help you get Ranma?"

"Simple! When I am the empress, I command Ranma to marry me. After that, well..." Ukyo grinned. "I'll let my feminine wiles do their job."

Shampoo blinked once more, and then gave a grin of her own. "Ha! Ranma will be my paramour before long, and then he'll be in China! You won't be able to touch him then!"

Ukyo scowled. "I should never have given you access to a potion that magically allows you to know more vocabulary than I do... But it doesn't matter, anyway. Step two is 'Conquer China.'"

"Then I will take him to-"

"Step three is 'Conquer the World.'"

Shampoo ground her teeth. "Why am I even arguing with you about this? You're obviously crazy."

"I'll show you crazy, you Chinese bimbo!"

Ukyo, after turning down the heat on her newest concoction, grabbed her battle spatula and headed outside. Shampoo followed with confidence in her stride, Konatsu sighing tiredly as he began collecting first-aid equipment, but everyone stopped when a fourth person entered the shop. "Xian Pu, I have finally found where you have been going off to," Cologne remarked in irritated Chinese from her perch on her walking staff. "You do not have time to be playing games with this girl. Come. If you have energy to fight, you have energy to resume your magic lessons."

Shampoo had frozen when Cologne walked in, a panicked expression on her face, but Cologne's command has produced in her two wills – one to obey her mentor, and another to reject her. Unable to speak in anything but Japanese thanks to the potion, her voice trembled a little as she spoke formally. "Honored Elder, you have had your time today to teach me in the ways of magic. Now, I will learn more of the ways of Ki. You ask of me my all, and I give it to you – it is only a coincidence that Ukyo here has provided me with a way to regain my energy beyond that."

Ukyo groaned as Cologne turned a curious eye towards her. "I'm not making any for you, understand? I'm too busy with other things to start catering to your potion needs and whims."

Cologne switched to Japanese, a smile quirking her lips. "Oh, I am more than capable of fulfilling my 'needs and whims', girl. I am a little interested in how you suddenly learned to make such potions – and effective ones at that, if Xian Puu's new skill in Japanese is any gauge – but I would not be surprised if, seemingly like every other martial artist in Nerima, it is because of a God Seed. Really, I am living in interesting times."

Then her face became more serious as she looked back to Shampoo. "But you, Xian Puu, are acting quite arrogant. Must I remind you that disobeying an elder is treason? Your all means your _all_; if you can continue to practice magic, then you will continue to practice magic, and that is the end of the story. Come, _now._"

Shampoo quivered, but then bowed her head. "Yes, Honored Elder. I understand and obey." The formal Japanese sounded slightly silly coming out of Shampoo, but the expression on her face, one of both humiliation and rage, proved that she meant it.

Cologne nodded, and then headed out of the store. "We will be coming back here to make use of your wonderful potions – and of course, we will be paying you for your troubles. Is this all right?"

Ukyo frowned. "Well, I guess. Um, I'm not about to start prying into Amazon affairs, but-"

"Then don't," Cologne said simply, and went out the door.

Shampoo followed her out, looking for all the world like she had just been sentenced to death. And for all Ukyo knew, that could be true. "Look," she said, trying to be cheerful, "I have no idea if they'll be any side effects from missing your sleep, but if you want you can come back here at night, take the potion, and train then, too. I don't mind."

Glancing towards the door, Shampoo nodded. "I will think about it."

Ukyo tried to smile, but Shampoo looked so depressed that it ended up more as a pathetic tremble than anything else. "Well, good luck!" She called out, hoping that, whatever happened to the girl, it wouldn't be too bad.

As she wearily made her way back to the pot, something caught her attention. _Odd. The translation potion doesn't usually last anywhere near this long. Either it's getting stronger, or repeated dosages are starting to layer over each other. I'll have to look into this... but first, mind-controlling Valentine chocolates!_

* * *

The look Akane was giving Ranma could kill, given a chance. What was strange was that he was getting similar stares from Nabiki and Soun. Well, it wasn't that strange. If he could give himself a such a stare, he'd be doing it too. In his head a small version of himself, dressed like Ryoga, shook his fist. _Damn you, Ranma Saotome! You've made our life hell!_

And as Kodachi chatted merrily with Kasumi in the kitchen about this recipe and that variant of that dish, Ranma realized he had.

Kodachi had, true to her word, followed him home. Ranma hadn't really felt up to ditching the girl when she had nowhere else to go, so he had reluctantly (i.e. Tried to run away screaming to join the circus but failed because, apparently, the international circus guild had a strict policy against letting Genma Saotome and members of his family join) led her to the Tendo Dojo. Not that she couldn't find her way there himself, but it'd be far worse if she got there with some sob story of being abandoned by Ranma (which, as Nerimian physics predicted, would make everyone fall in love with her, and Ranma would then be called the worst man ever born, and instead of Kodachi he would end up sleeping on the street).

_How bad could it go?_ He'd wondered, and of course it'd gotten _bad._ Kasumi had been the only one home when they'd gotten there, cooking some French dish for a change, and after explaining the situation Kodachi had commented on how wonderful Kasumi's cooking smelled. They'd started chatting, and when Soun and Nabiki had arrived home from some meeting about taxes or some other similarly boring and non-martial artist related topic, Kasumi's explanation had been, "Oh, she's such a wonderful girl! She'll be staying with us for a while."

_Kodachi had gotten Kasumi's_ _Seal of Approval!_

After that, nothing could be done. Akane had come home and nearly thrown a temper tantrum; Ranma had quite bluntly asked her if she'd wanted to continue in the dojo, because frankly he wanted to join in and the dojo was built for that kind of thing, but predictable Akane had decided it was all his fault and stomped off to her room. And, well, it was, but while Ranma couldn't disagree with how terrible the situation was, he honestly couldn't see how he could have acted any better. Besides, she'd brought Ryoga home _plenty _of times, even if you didn't count 'P-chan'. Not that he and Ryoga were rivals for Akane's love, or anything, or that Kodachi was anywhere close to being a rival for his love, or that he had anything to do with loving anyone anywhere, because if he concentrated really hard girls still had cooties.

Why did things have to be so _complicated?_

Now it was dinner time, and as dinner went half the time at the Tendo house, everyone had been gathered in one place more so they could glare at Ranma than so they could eat. As Kodachi brought in some steaming dish that made Ranma's stomach growl, Genma slid open the door to the porch. "There you are, Ran-" The words died in his throat as he saw Kodachi making herself at home. He glanced at Ranma, face white, and when Ranma nodded shakily, bowed his head for a moment. "I love you, son," he said emotionally, and then attempted to dash back out the door.

Soun had put a stop to that, wailing about how his friend had betrayed him, so now a tied up panda was occasionally being hand-fed bamboo sprouts by Kasumi (which might explain why he wasn't struggling all that hard). Ranma was just about start in on the strange European dish Kasumi had cooked up when a knock came at the door. Sighing as everyone stared at him pointedly, he got up and want to the front door to find, of all people, Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne.

When Ranma did nothing but stare, a bewildered look on his face, Cologne stepped up. "Grandson-in-law, won't you let us in? We are here for the meeting."

"Meeting?" Ranma got even more confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Why, the meeting with Kondi Xia Nia, of course. Didn't you arrange a second meeting and send us a notice?"

"I did no such thing!" Ranma turned around and shouted back into the home. "Nabiki! Did you arrange or know about someone arranging a meeting with that Kondi guy?"

"No," Nabiki said as she got up and went to the front door, "I haven't heard anything about it. Why?"

"Cologne here says we set up a meeting and sent her a notice, or something."

"Indeed, grandson-in-law, I found the notice as I arrived home this evening. It claimed it was from you, but I see that something stranger is going on."

"Oh, damn it! Not another crazy challenger and/or fiancée!" Ranma gripped his head in his hands. "Don't I have _more_ than enough of those already!?"

"You passed that point a long time ago," Nabiki responded wryly.

Cologne was about to say something, but turned around to look down the street instead. "I see that everyone in Nerima has now been gathered."

Ukyo, followed by Konatsu dragging Ryoga along, waved at Ranma. "Ranma dear, we're here for the meeting, just like you requested!"

Ryoga shook off Konatsu's grip. "Ranma! Those directions you gave me led me straight to Ukyo's place, just like they said they would. Why haven't you helped me out with those before!?"

"I haven't sent you guys anything," Ranma said sourly. "Some other joker's-"

Ranma's words were cut off as a sudden heavy atmosphere dropped down. All sound ceased for the briefest of moments, and reality seemed to get sucked into a single point. In an explosive burst of purple light, which seemed to be infused with hate and rage, reality returned to normal just as Ranma began to wonder what the hell was going on.

"What the hell was that!?" Ranma said, only to realize that his words seemed to be muted. He could hear them clearly, but all emotional impact (and he had put a lot of that into them!) had disappeared. As he looked around, he noticed that the purple light had stuck around, giving everything a spooky, ethereal glow.

Cologne was standing at attention, staff on hand to deflect any attacks. "I recognize this," she said in monotone. "We have been sucked into a pocket dimension; we are now standing in a simulacrum of Nerima. I am surprised I did not notice the magic necessary for such a spell building before hand."

Ranma looked at her curiously, but suddenly a scream (also monotone, which made it sound _very_ strange) echoed out from inside the house. He rushed inside, followed by everyone else gathered at the door, to find a weirdly cloaked man holding on to a handful of figurines as he desperately tried to fend off a dual assault from Soun and Genma, the first using a brightly-glowing naginata, and the other fists and feet that released bursts of what Ranma recognized as deific energy. The man, who at first glance had seemed unremarkable but then somehow turned into a regal, demonic villain, was using one hand to hold the figurines in a globe of purple light, and the other to draw up runes into the air. He had cut his fingers, and was using the spray of blood to repeatedly splatter the same rune over and over. Everytime he did so, a wall fo air would spring up, protecting him – but as soon as it was formed, it would be torn down by Soun and Genma's furious blows. When Ranma looked closely, he recognized the figurines as Akane, Kasumi, and Kodachi.

Ranma wasn't quite sure what was going on, but the intrude was clearly an enemy and, by the look on his face, was being hard-pressed just to avoid getting turned into paste. Ranma dashed forward intent on helping, closely followed by Cologne, who had turned her staff around, preparing to use it as a spear. The intruder, upon seeing them come forward to support Genma and Soun, cursed loudly before slashing his neck broadly and violently. The resulting geyser of blood instantly formed an intricate pattern on the floor, and just as Genma and Soun shattered the last barrier, the man disappeared in a burst of flame.

Genma hit the wall angrily with his fist, cursing, but Soun was nowhere near as coherent. With a bestial roar he dashed outside and leaped onto a roof, where he grew his demonic head and began looking around in all directions, sniffing and growling. Cologne, gripping her staff tightly in a shaking fist, walked up to Genma. "That was blood magic, and that man was very, _very_ good at using it. Do you know what is going on?

"Not in the slightest!" Genma said, panting from his previous exertion. "After whatever-the-hell happened before, he burst into here, flinging bursts of light. He hit Kasumi, Kodachi, and Akane with them, turning them into little statues, while we barely dodged them. We tried to take him down, but he had protective spells up before he came into here, and was building them back up faster than we could break them down."

"No normal caster, then," Cologne said, her body movements indicating she was speaking dubiously even as her voice was plain. "We must move quickly. He is undoubtedly the one that sent us those notices, in order to draw us all into one place. I do not think he intended for me to be here; we had a fire at the the Cat Cafe earlier, and it was only through luck that it was stopped so quickly. The notice also only asked for Shampoo and Mousse; he probably predicted I would send them to attend while I dealt with cleaning up the fire."

Genma frowned. "Now that I think about it, Soun and I got a notice from the master today, asking us to meet him somewhere. Of course, we didn't go, but if someone knew nothing more than that we were the master's students, it's what they might have tried."

"Enough talk!" Ranma yelled out, vainly trying to make his anger felt. "We need to go save those girls, right now!"

Cologne looked out at Soun, who seemed to have found something. "Indeed. Let us follow Soun, hopefully to where that man is waiting. Be careful; this might all be an elaborate trap. Nabiki, you should come with us; leaving you here will undoubtedly just give that man another hostage."

Everyone nodded, and as Soun leaped into the air with a cry, they followed, Ryoga holding onto Nabiki.


	9. It gets pretty boring!

And here is chapter 9. First real action-oriented chapter; please tell me how it went.

Probably one or two more chapters to this arc, and then it gets interesting. Yeah, that's right! This has all been lead-up to reveal everyone's God Seeds!

In any case, I hope you like it.

* * *

As Soun leaped from building to building like some kind of mutant grasshopper, Ranma and Genma led the group of people following him. Ukyo and Konatsu were in the back, guarding Ryoga, who was burdened down by Nabiki. Nabiki herself looked non-plussed at being thrown over Ryoga's shoulder like a sack of grain, but was otherwise determined; her title as the Ice Queen was well earned. Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne stayed in the center, right behind Genma and Ranma, prepared to come to anyone's aid.

They'd agreed on this formation because no one had any idea what was going to be thrown at them. The intruder's intent was unknown as well; he could have been trying to capture everyone in the chaos, or he could have been trying to get some bait to lure Ranma onto his territory. Most martial artists who tried to attack Nerima chose the second path, but the guy was a 'blood mage', or whatever. Ranma wasn't quite sure what that meant, but Cologne had been quite firm on the fact that it made him very dangerous.

Soun had been circling around Nerima for fifteen minutes now, but he was definitely closing in on the hideout; as they advanced, the atmosphere of dread and hate was gradually getting stronger and stronger. If he hadn't trained in the Soul of Ice (and if all his rivals hadn't trained to eliminate their vulnerabilities to the technique), he'd most certainly have been overwhelmed by this point. He briefly looked back at Nabiki, his respect for the woman going up a notch when he saw that her only reaction to the emotional assault was an occasional shiver.

When Soun finally stopped, it was obvious that they'd found the right spot. In the middle of one of the smaller parks was a huge hill of rock and dirt, with a broad cave entrance taking up most of one side. A dim red light shone out of it, and the hill itself looked burned and scared by some previous fire. Everyone gathered together while Soun, in a moment of clarity, decided to take a breather.

"So, now what?" Ranma asked, admittedly a little hesitant at just walking into a place that emanated such an evil aura.

Having caught his breathe, Soun growled and headed for the entrance in answer, but Cologne grabbed him by the collar. "We go inside, like Soun wants to, but we do it intelligently. This is a pocket dimension created by the enemy; we have to assume that he's set it up exactly how he wants it."

Genma nodded. "Yes, there's no way around it. A place like this, there won't be any side or back entrances. Ventilation shafts and garbage dumps are out, too, as this place is not only magical, but temporary, and thus has no need for such conveniences. I'm betting it'll be an underground complex, and we'll have to go, oh, about fifty feet down before we see anything but an entrance shaft. He'll probably try to split us up, too."

Shampoo looked at Genma like he was slightly crazy. "How the hell do you know all that!? And you'd be willing to go in through a garbage dump?"

Ranma snorted. "The psychological profile of the target is important when guessing at the layout of a building, if it's been built to his specifications. It's called 'casing a joint', and my father's an expert at it."

"Boy, don't you take that tone with me!"

"How the hell would you know if I did or not? Everything we say here is _monotone!_"

"Because you're _always_ taking that tone with me! Irreverent brat!"

"Now, now," Cologne said, getting between them, "Now is not really the time. I understand that not being able to express your emotions with your voice can be frustrating and disturbing; it's undoubtedly part of the enemy's plan that we get unsettled. Now, we should go in before this man has any more time to prepare. Ukyo, will you stay here with Nabiki?"

Ukyo nodded. "Uh, I guess. What should I do if someone comes and attacks?"

Cologne tossed a small folded piece of paper over to Ukyo. "Rip this apart, and I will know that you've been attacked."

Konatsu bowed to Cologne. "I'm afraid that, kidnapped girls or not, my place is here by Ukyo-sama's side."

Colgone frowned, but then shrugged. "I suppose it couldn't hurt. There's a very good chance that you'll be attacked here, and Ukyo by herself might very well be overwhelmed. Now," she said, turning to everybody else, "shall we go save those girls?"

"Wait just a second!" Nabiki look pissed as she was put down by Ryoga. "You're just going to leave me here like some piece of baggage?"

Ranma smiled shakily. "Well, it's not like you're be any help in a fight, so-"

"I'm _way _more important than that! I demand an honor guard – Daddy! You're going to stay here and guard me!"

Soun grunted, but didn't make any motion to stand down from his attempt to strain against Cologne's grip and head into the hill.

"Nabiki, I understand your worry," Ranma said. "I'm actually pretty impressed that you can stand this atmosphere at all."

"Atmosphere?" Nabiki frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Ranma stared. "Oh, just the oppressive air of hatred and rage that permeates this _entire_ place!"

"Oh, that! Bah, you've seen nothing till you've seen Kasumi pissed. Right, Daddy?"

Soun whimpered, and placed his hands on his head briefly, as if remembering something unspeakable, before doubling his efforts to get free.

Ranma laughed nervously. "Right, whatever. Look, we all promise that, if you're in any danger, we'll come back to save you. Right?" He looked around at his fellow martial artists expectantly, and they nodded reluctantly.

Nabiki stared at them all, and a different sort of oppression seemed to descend on it. "You _mean _it? On your honor as martial artists?"

Everyone nodded once more, and something seemed to click into place. Nabiki looked satisfied, and waved them away. "Fine, then, go save my sisters."

Turning back to the devilish hill, Cologne released Soun, and everyone they followed him into the gaping maw. They were greeted by a downward staircase, which Soun promptly went racing down; rather than take the steps, he ran along the walls, bouncing between them when his momentum began to fail. Ranma found it pretty hard to keep up; rather than try to emulate the berserker, he decided to take the standard approach and stick with the rest of the group.

As they went further down, the red light became increasingly bright, and the walls began to smoke. It wasn't getting any hotter, though; the effect seemed to be purely for appearances, although someone would cough every now and then. "Guy's really into the whole 'Lord of Hell' motif, huh?" Ranma said over his shoulder.

Ryoga snorted. "What a joker. We'll take him down faster than Happosai can cow one of his students."

"You got that right," Ranma said back, smirking. "Hey, it's nice that we can all work together in times like this."

"Hey, he went after Kasumi. _No one_ goes after Kasumi and gets off with it."

There was a collective silence as everyone was reminded that the man they were chasing already had three hostages in his grasp. Soon they reached the bottom of the stairway, however, and found a curving hallway. Soun was already sprinting down it, seemingly tireless in his anger, and to avoid getting left behind Ranma had to ignore the burning sensation that was creeping up on him and keep on moving.

The corridor quickly emptied into a round chamber, though, which had seven branching pathways. Soun could be seen going down the center one, a glittering veil settling into place on its entrance. Cologne opened her eyes and cursed loudly as she saw what had happened.

"That fool!" she exclaimed. "He's activated the magic! Blast, now we really will have to split up!"

Ranma looked at her curiously. "Mind explaining, old woman?"

"It's a spell that forces an invading group to separate. See that veil? That means that we can no longer go down that corridor, and whenever one of us goes through the others, it will close of as well. - and don't even think of destroying the walls to bypass it, the magic is designed to counter such attempts. If I had had a chance to look at it before it was activated, I might have been able to destroy the magic, but there's no hope of that now. Well, no time to sit around like idiots. Let's get moving."

"Wait a second," Ranma said, looking confused. "How could he have anticipated how many of us there would have been? And even if he had, three of us stayed back at the entrance."

"This room's probably been set up to change shape and function depending on how many people walk into it. There was plenty of time to analyze us as we went down those stairs. Now," Cologne said with determination, "unless you have any more questions, it is time we separated."

Everyone looked uncertain as they each went to a different pathway. Genma was frowning in consternation, while Cologne was grim and focused. Ranma and Ryoga exchanged nervous grins, letting their rivalry give them a small bit of strength, while Mousse was worst of all, barely able to step away from Shampoo's side.

Then, in silent consensus, they all stepped through their doorways at the same time, mustering their courage.

* * *

Cologne walked down the hallway slowly but surely, eyes and several other senses darting back and forth, looking for traps. As it turned out, though, the end of her trial was there to greet her no more than a minute after she'd stepped through the veil. Stepping into a wide hallway, she was unsurprised to see the mastermind of their entire ordeal standing before her. "I _thought_ you'd take the opportunity to deal with us one by one."

"Oh, I've got more resources than that. Give me some credit, hag." The man said, a cruel smile on his lips. "We both know you're the most dangerous person here, barring that fool Genma suddenly growing some balls. Of course I'm going to deal with you personally – but my servants are more than enough for the rest."

Cologne raised an eyebrow. "While Genma is certainly a fool, his refusal to use his more dangerous techniques is one of the wiser choices he's made in his life. A young whelp like you probably wouldn't know anything about that, though. And servants? I thought blood mages were proud elitists. "

"A blood mage? Is that what you think I am?" The man threw back his head and laughed arrogantly. "I am much more than that, hag. I am a demon summoner, the best there is! The only way you fools could possibly make it out of here is if Happosai was here, and I took great pains making sure he wouldn't be."

Cologne narrowed her eyes when she heard the word 'demon', but smirked after the man was done speaking. "If you think the martial artists here will fall to a few demons, you have greatly underestimated them."

"Oh, you would be right if I was any other demon summoner. But as I said, I am the best – and calling half a dozen highest-tier demons, while tiresome, is very possible."

Her eyes widening, Cologne got into a battle stance. "If you are not bluffing, then I must deal with you quickly and efficiently. Forgive me; I have no time for mercy when my charges are in danger."

"Stop pretending, old woman. You're far from your prime, unlike myself. You're going to die no matter what you try to do." As he raised one hand, the tips of its fingers began bleeding; as he simultaneously began drawing several different runes at once with it, purple flames burst into existence in the palm of his other hand. "How many times do I need to repeat myself? I am the _best_."

Cologne smiled grimly. "We'll see about that, won't we?"

* * *

Xian Puu was quite worried as she went down the hallway. She couldn't stand the idea of someone hurting Kasumi any more than anyone else could, but she had very little confidence in her skills at the moment. Honored Grandmother had taught her the basics of a healing spell that morning, but she'd hardly had any time to practice it at all; nor had she had any time to practice the Ki techniques that Konatsu had showed her. If she ran into anyone, she'd be hard pressed to survive; she'd heard of blood magic before, and knew that the way Honored Grandmother had spoken of the man meant he was quite formidable. Then, of course, soon after she'd parted the group loud explosions had started up somewhere in the complex; she wasn't looking forward to running into anything that could make sounds like that.

So for once, she was intensely relieved when she ran into Muu Suu again as their two paths merged. She didn't show it, of course; Muu Suu was crying hard enough for a small horde of emotionally sensitive Japanese girls, shameless man that he was. Really, why did Amazonian men have to be so _sensitive_? It was so boring.

After patting him on the head to stop his bawling, the two made their way down the widened corridor together. A few minutes later, the path opened up into a small hemisphere-shaped room, about sixty feet in diameter. Standing in the center of the room was a small, fat man, with reddish skin that was literally dripping with oil. He had open sores all over his body, emitting pus that mixed with the oil, creating a revolting stench that filled the room.

Worst of all, though, was that he was completely naked.

"Augh!" Xian Puu turned around and desperately tried not throw up. "Muu Suu! Kill it!"

Muu Suu grimaced in disgust, but then turned around in shock. "Xian Puu! You just spoke in Chinese!"

Xian Puu blinked. "You're right," she said, in Japanese this time, "I seem to be equally capable with both languages. Whatever, now is not the time. Kill it! _Kill it!_"

The small, disgusting man chattered in a high-pitched voice that was reminiscent of insects. "Kikikikikiki! As if small fry like you could slay a demon of disease like me! I hope that master will let me keep you after you die; I'm going to love seeing your bodies ripen back at home in the hells!" With a snap of his fingers, the doors on either side of the room closed.

Xian Puu glared at the demon, trying to focus on its face. "I don't care what you are, you are disgusting and must die. Muu Suu!"

Muu Suu bowed. "Of course, Xian Puu." Quickly pulling several daggers out of his sleeves, he threw them at the demon, who...

Let them hit.

The demon laughed as the daggers were pushed out his body. "Did I mention that I'm a demon of disease? Yes, I think I did. If you're so foolish as not to know that such attacks won't work on a demon with such broad focus like 'disease', than you're easier prey than I thought!"

Muu Suu growled, and then pulled out one of the small rods that Xian Puu had seen him practicing with out of his right sleeve. Focusing, he slipped it into his left sleeve, and then pointed his left hand at the demon. "I'll give you one last chance to surrender."

The demon just laughed again. "Give me your best shot, human!"

"As you command."

Xian Puu didn't even see the rod leave Muu Suu's sleeve. One second the demon was laughing, his layers of fat jiggling and swaying; the next, he was disintegrating into a cloud of burned flesh and evaporated pus. Xian Puu stepped back in disgust as small bits of demon rained down. "Well, he got what was coming to him. Let's move-"

As she pulled in a breathe, she immediately began coughing violently. Muu Suu, seeing her reaction, sniffed the air. "Poison gas!" he called out, and pulled a plastic snorkel mask out of his right sleeve. Putting it on, he pointed the air tube down his shirt – into a dimensional pocket filled with air, no doubt. "Are you alright, Xian Puu!?"

Xian Puu couldn't answer; she was coughing so hard she couldn't even get a breath in. She started turning blue; even after she'd expelled all the air out of her lungs, she was unable to breathe in any more.

The demon's voice seemed to echo out of nowhere. "Kikikikikiki! How do you like my paralytic gas? It's my specialty; one breathe, and it's your last!" He laughed again. "I admit, I was surprised by that attack of yours, but it matters little. Demons of my type are incorporeal by nature, even outside of hell. No amount of thrown weapons is going defeat me. Also, I'd say my goodbyes to that woman, little man; there's nothing you can do for her now, and you're next!"

Muu Suu glared into the red fog that had now completely filled the small room, and then turned to Xian Puu. Focusing once again, he outstretched his hands, and a glowing sphere expanded out of them, expanding over Xian Puu's twitching body. "Xian Puu," he said quietly, "this is the results of my God Seed. Whatever is in this globe, I can protect and heal from all things." He smiled. "I was quite ecstatic when I discovered it, since I can think of no better way to serve you. It seems I was correct."

Xian Puu suddenly found herself able to breathe again. Gulping in air, she began coughing once again. Muu Suu took the opportunity to continue speaking. "This guy seems powerful. I promise, until my last breathe leaves my body, that shield will stand; use that time to think up a strategy against him. You're the magic user; I'm sure you'll think of something."

He turned around again, to face the demon. The bits of flesh that lay strewn around the ground were collecting together, forming huge insects, full of spines and wings and thorns sticking out in every possible direction. Muu Suu smiled viciously as he pulled out several tubes of buckshot out of his right sleeve, and began pouring them into his left one. "Let's see what you got, demon."

* * *

Ryoga was fighting the urge to drag his feet as he continued down the corridor. Despite trying to show a strong face to Ranma before they'd separated, he'd really been quite frightened. The one glance he'd had of their enemy back at the Tendo dojo had shown him to be very powerful. Soun and Genma had been shooting off attacks that he couldn't even really understand, and that mage had been fending them off – had been winning, even! Ranma had charged right in, but Ryoga had been paralyzed by the sight of someone so ridiculously strong.

When the old man, Kondi Xia Nia, had told them this tale of God Seeds and stolen magic, Ryoga had only partially believed it. Sure, he'd been glad that he was the closest to developing a Seed (aside from Ranma, damn him!), but it hadn't meant that much to him. After all, he was already pretty strong – only monsters like Saffron, and to a lesser extend the members of the Musk Dynasty, had proven a true match – and he'd gotten stronger since then, he was sure of it!

That one glance of the enemy fighting Soun and Genma had destroyed all of that. There were people in the world that were stronger than he could comprehend – people that had been hiding right next to him, even! Sure, he and Konatsu had supposedly 'awakened' their God Seeds, or whatever, but Konatsu had been the only one happy about it. To him, his Seed seemed completely useless; Konatsu had said that it was powerful, but Ryoga just couldn't see it. Konatsu's seed was only a little bit better than his, despite the ninja's optimistic attitude. Maybe he was missing the point, but until he'd seen that monster attacked by Soun and Genma, he hadn't cared – he'd rather rely on the techniques he'd already learned to do the job for him.

Now, though, he knew he wasn't up to the task. The first enemy he met would squash him like a bug, he was certain of it. That explosion that had rocked the complex earlier had proved it – whatever enemies were here, they were powerful. The only thing that kept him going was the though of poor, innocent Kasumi trapped somewhere. His comment to Ranma on that subject had been truthful, at least.

Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed when the corridor suddenly expanded into a larger room. Sighing as he looked around, he immediately stood at attention when he spotted a _very_ well-endowed woman in the center of the room. She was wearing almost nothing; what _was _there was black and sensual, leaving much to the imagination – and Ryoga's imagination, fueled by hormones and guided by his glimpses of Ranma and Akane's female physiques, was more than up to the task. She was, truly, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Ryoga sunk to his knees. "Why!? Why, God, do you punish me so!? What have I done wrong to make you put such dangers in my path!?"

The woman blinked. "Well. I haven't gotten a response like that for a long time. You must have had some rough experiences with woman, huh?"

Ryoga cringed and looked away. "I haven't seen anything! Don't hurt me!"

Smirking, the woman stalked forward, a predator sensing weakness. "What, you don't like the way I look, boy? There something wrong," she said, placing her hands on her large breasts, "with these? Are they not to your liking?"

"Gah!" Ryoga was forced to apply emergency first aid to his nose with his bandannas. "You, you, you seductress! Leave me alone!"

"I think not," the woman said wryly. "I have been tasked with defeating you, and that is exactly what I will do. I never thought my opponent would be so emotionally weak, though. Makes my job easier, in any case."

Suddenly staring straight at Ryoga intensely, the woman smiled. "So, looking at me makes you think of this Akane girl? My, even though you have that Akari girl. How _shameful!_"

Ryoga whirled around, his face frozen in shock. "You, you can read my mind!?"

"Indeed. I am a demon of depression, after all. But really, you pretend you don't like her anymore, but your imagination is _quite _vivid on the subject. How can you even pretend to be a martial artist with such thoughts in your head?"

"That's, that's not true! I already gave up on Akane!"

"Please, don't even bother lying to me. I can read your mind – even if your lying to yourself, you can't fool me. You lust after Akane – you've _dreamed_ about the bosom that, as a pig, you sink into at night. If Akane showed any interest, you'd abandon Akari in a heartbeat. You wouldn't even feel sorry about it, would you? It'd all be for the sake of freeing Akane from Ranma's lecherous grasp – and speaking of Ranma..."

"No! Silence!"

"Ranma, your rival in love and war. He's the cheater, the lecher, the pervert. He never fights fair, he has Akane madly in love with him despite the fact that he cheats on her regularly, and to top it all off he's not even a real man. As a boy, he's your fiercest rival – or really, your fiercest enemy. What a sap, helping you so much even though you never return the favor. What a nice guy. He _deserves_ all those victories he's had against you, all the woman that fawn over him. And you, you pretend you're still in his league, that you can compare. As a boy, he's your superior... but as a girl, he's much more than that. Ah, you're a sicko, aren't you? You _know_ that he's really a guy, but you still harbor such dirty thoughts..."

Ryoga shook his head, turning pale. "Lies! All lies! It was only once, in a moment of weakness! He just popped in there – there was nothing I could do about it!"

The demoness smiled cruelly. _You're right, it _was_ a one time fluke, but I'm going to convince you otherwise, anyway... _"But once is enough, isn't it? I can't blame you, really – she's a real hottie. Those legs, muscular and smooth. A martial artist's legs, but also a _woman's_ legs. So curvy, so sensuous, and yet she never realizes it – it's so _easy_ to get comfortable with her, isn't it? Unless they're homely like Akari, you can never relax around those other girls, but Ranma's really a _boy,_ isn't she? But then, she acts so _girly_, too. She's got the cute mannerisms down, when she wants to use them. And, of course, there are her _breasts._ Ah, I mention the word and you nearly collapse."

Ryoga starred at the floor, eyes wide. "Only, only once... It was only once..."

"But how many more times have you lied to yourself? How do you know that those little fantasies of yours aren't _really_ about Ranma, and that you're just supplanting the images of those other girls onto Ranma's actions and mannerisms? In your dreams, all those girls are always so relaxed, so charming, so... easy to be around. _Just like Ranma._"

"No... No, it can't be true... I'm, I'm not a pervert like Ranma is..."

"Ah, that's what you want, isn't it?" The demon smiled cruelly. _Just a little more,_ she thought, _and he's finished. _"You call him a pervert so quickly, so easily, so forcefully – isn't that your secret fantasy? Ranma, the pervert, yours."

Ryoga couldn't say anything – all he did was mumble the word 'no', over and over.

"Really, you call him a pervert because that's the only thing you imagine ties you two together, isn't it? _You're _the _real_ pervert! You're just projecting that onto him, in the hopes that will be a good enough connection between you two. After all, his God Seed is so powerful. He absorbed the power of Jusenkyo, and you know first hand how powerful that is. And what techniques can _you_ use?" The woman concentrated, and then grinned. "Ah, you tried to hide it from me, but your God Seed is pretty pathetic, isn't it? All you can do is create different versions of the techniques that you already know – like Genma's creation of techniques, but without the innovation. Really, you're pathetic. The techniques you know aren't even that great – a rock-breaking move, and the Shishi Hokodan-"

Suddenly the demon turned pale, and stopped talking. Her silence seemed to move something inside Ryoga, who slowly got to his feet and began speaking. "That's right. My God Seed is so pathetic. I mean, Ranma's father apparently had a reputation for a great Seed, and mine is similar to his, but there's no way I can use it properly. All I can do is think up new variants to my previous moves – and I could do that before. Sure, maybe they come a little faster, and maybe they're a little more creative in ways I hadn't thought of before, but I'm still worthless."

The woman stared backing up. "No, wait, it'd not that bad. I think you've got a lot going for you, really. Buck up! No need to be so negative-"

"Negative?" Ryoga said sharply, interrupting. "Everything about me is negative! Ranma turns into a girl, and he's more of a man than I am. He's a better martial artist, a better person – but then, that's not really that surprising." He sighed, heavily. "I've never been more depressed in my life."

"Ah, wait-"

"But then, Akane is counting on me, isn't she? And Kasumi, too. Even I, worthless creature that I am, have to give my best to try to save them. I suppose I'll try out one of those worthless variants I created. Need to know exactly how pathetic it is, after all. If I'm lucky, maybe I can take you out with me."

"Wait! Can't we talk about this!?" The demon looked like she wanted to run, but she'd looked into his mind – and she knew there was no escape.

Ryoga released all the tension in his body. His eyes were empty as he said, "Shishi Hokodan – Gravity Aura variant."

In an instant, the gravity multiplied a thousand times. The walls and ceiling came down so fast that, if someone could witness it from the outside, it would look like Ryoga had turned into a black hole, forcing everything in a small radius around him to implode. After that, Ryoga, and the remains of the room, began to rapidly sink into the ground, burrowing deep into the earth.

The demon didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

"Woah!" Ranma nearly fell over as the entire complex violently shook. For several seconds the rumbling continued before stopping, and after that, muted explosions began sending tiny quakes through the floor. "Geez, what the hell is going on in this place? That was even worse than those explosions a while back! No way do I want to run into whatever is making those!"

Ranma shook himself before going down the corridor. _Idiot, stop talking to yourself. You sound like Ryoga. _Glad that no one had been around to hear him act so foolishly, he tried to make good speed, focusing all his senses on examining his surroundings.

It was difficult to maintain that focus. He had tried to show a courageous face to Ryoga, so that he wouldn't lose when it came to maintaining a good attitude, but in reality he wasn't nearly as confident as he had pretended.

Like always, he was sticking his head into a situation above his head. He'd managed to do it many times before and come out ahead by the skin of his teeth, but this time was different. Without thinking he had rushed forward to attack that blood mage, but now that he reflected on it he might have died if the mage had retaliated against him. His pops had been attacking furiously, using complicated variants of the Tente Tensou Shushou that Ranma could barely recognize as variants at all – never mind Soun, who was so berserk that he was probably damaging his body with his own techniques.

Ryoga, now, Ryoga had remained calm and let the threat of Cologne coming to support his assailants force the man to run away. Lost boy and idiot though he was, Ranma remembered Nabiki mentioning that he was training to activate his God Seed. He probably had already discovered it, and had gotten a few new tricks up his sleeve – tricks which could give him the confidence, shaky that it was, that he had shown Ranma before they'd split up.

_Not like me. No, my supposedly powerful God Seed lets me change into a girl at will. What a wonderful ability._ Ranma sighed. _I just hope I can rescue the girls before this gets too serious._

He had been traveling down a straight line for a while now, the corridor never altering from that path. Whether it was on purpose or not, he seemed to be heading straight to the back of the complex – to, he assumed, where the enemy was. After all, if _he_ built a large magical underground base, he'd be in the very back of it.

After only a few more minutes, his suspicions were confirmed – the room he walked into was clearly built for living in, with a rather grand throne room attached through an open doorway. There were a few bookcases, a bed, and varied other mystical-looking instruments and devices scattered over the tables here and there. The floor was covered with circles painted – or rather, sprayed – with blood. Ranma had no idea what they were for, but the first thing that came to mind was demon-summoning.

Luckily, no one was there. Hopefully, the girls were in this room somewhere, and he'd be able to free them before the owner came back. Quickly, Ranma began to search the room for the trio of figurines.

* * *

Genma was quite worried. He had no idea what those explosions were, but they sounded quite fierce. It was likely that they were the result of Cologne facing off with the enemy – since she was the strongest, it was probable that the blood mage would decide to take her out first. After all, that was why he had separated them in the first place.

That second set of explosions, though, worried him. It hadn't really been an explosion at all; he wasn't quite sure what it was, but he doubted Cologne would make use of such a flashy move, and blood mages were not known for big explosions. Well, that first explosion had probably been his, but if he judged Cologne right, such a move would be useless on her, and the mage didn't look stupid enough to futilely use the same move twice.

That led him to conclude that this mage had allies – allies who could attack Ranma, or Soun, or himself. He and Soun could take care of themselves, but Ranma was still a little green when it came to the mystical – a few illusions and he'd be toast.

He stopped pondering on the variety of ways his son could get utterly destroyed when he found a small room in front of him. In the center of the unremarkable room was a small wooden bench, and on the bench sat a man – a man that Genma knew very, very well.

"Morgan!?" Genma choked out. "You, you're _dead!_"

Morgan, a blond, Caucasian giant who looked to be European in origin, smirked a little before speaking in a heavily inflected English. "'Course I am. What, you 'tink a man can come back from 'aving his 'ead blown clean off?"

Genma blinked twice, slowly, his mouth open in shock, before coming to his senses. Looking closely, he realized that the man was transparent, and had a slim collar around his neck. "Oh, no," he said sadly in Japanese, visibly becoming tired. "It didn't work, did it?"

"What, that plan to get get me outta my deal wit' 'da devil using 'dat loop'ole about my Australian citizenship? Naw, never worked. Never expected it ta, really. Just wanted ta ease ya mind before I died."

Genma wilted even more. "So, you were expecting that you would die."

Morgan smiled brightly, emitting a sort of infective optomism. "'Course I did, fool. Was worth it, though. Don't start feeling bad." Then his smile turned into a frown. "'Den again, tis ain't exactly 'da best of situations."

"If you're here, then that means that this guy is a demon summoner. Am I right?"

"Yep, 'dat's right. And I've been tasked with fightin' ya. So, let's get 'dis over wit, right?" Morgan began grinning again. "Actually, we never 'ad a real fight before. I'm kinda lookin' forward to 'dis."

Tensing up, Genma stared hard at his old friend. Then he relaxed, and gave him a shaky grin. "Sure. But first, let's have a drink – for old time's sake." He pulled a bottle of wine out of his gi and moved to sit down on the bench.

Morgan clapped once, creating a near-deafening sound from his huge hands. "Sounds great! Pass it over!"

Genma paused for a second, as if hesitant to hand it over the alcohol, but then relented. "Sure. It's good stuff; feel free to drink a lot."

Morgan placed the bottle to his lips and then poured the drink down. Swallowing, his adam's apple prominently moving up and down, he drank half of it before handing it back with a satisfied gasp. "You were right. 'Dat's some good stuff!"

Genma took the bottle back, but refrained from drinking any. He placed the bottle down at his side, and after a few seconds Morgan frowned, looking offended.

"Hey, why aren't you drinkin'? Don't tell me you stopped drinkin' alcohol! 'Dat's not right, not after I drank so much ta old times! It's rude, I tell you!"

Smiling, Genma shook his head. "No, I'm just not a fan of poison."

Morgan blinked, and then surged to his feet, furious. He fell to his knees almost immediately after, though, and then collapsed to the floor. Wisps of ether began drifting off from his body; he quickly became more and more translucent. Speaking in nigh-perfect Japanese, he moved his head just enough so that he could glare at Genma. "That's dirty, friend. Here I was, looking forward to the only fight I've had in decades which I could consider honorable and even remotely interesting, and you send me straight back to the land of the dead. Not fair. Not fair at all."

Genma placed a hand to his forehead and hid his face for a moment, trembling a little. Then he said, "I'm sorry, but my son is in here somewhere. I've got to go help him."

"Your son!? You got married!?"

"Yeah, and while he's pretty good, he just developed a God Seed. He'd not good enough to handle a demon-summoner – not one good enough to summon the demon who owns your soul, at least."

Morgan continued to glare. "I don't care if he was your secret lover, you deprived my of my fight. You've always been a coward, Genma, it's always been what I hated about you." Genma grimaced, and looked like he wanted to say something more, but Morgan interrupted him. "Quit dawdling, you fool! Go rescue your son, or whatever. You already did the deed, so stop feeling bad about it and make use of the opportunity!"

Genma paused one last time, and then bowed. "I'm glad to have met you again, even if it was in such terrible circumstances. I hope I can find a way to rectify your situation." Then he left, sprinting down the corridor.

Morgan smirked one last time, and then disappeared. The collar went last, as if it was somehow holding on to reality, but it, too, finally disappeared.

* * *

The demons, small gremlins with little thorns all over their body that dripped a caustic poison, were huddling together in the middle of their narrow room. "All right," one said, who was bigger than the others and obviously their leader, "one of them is coming down the corridor at us. Here's the plan – you guys rush 'em head on, while I direct you from the rear and give fire support."

One of the others frowned, but the leader quickly whacked him over the head. "No arguing! We do it my way!" Satisfied that he had proved his dominance, he backed up and motioned for his subordinates to face the hallway, and they reluctantly complied.

Soon, rapid footsteps could be heard as someone came down the hallway. It quickly curved, so they couldn't see who it was, but the steps were fast and furious. "Alright, get ready!" the leader cried out, and prepared his poison glands so that he could shoot them at the approaching foe.

Soun turned around the corner, and saw the host of demons facing them. He stared, and then gave a feral scream and charged at them, naginata pointed forward like a spear. The naginata quickly grew huge, filling the entire corridor, and began to emit a white glow. The stone walls began to disintegrate wherever the naginata got within a foot of them, the debris getting absorbed by the white aura covering the spear.

As one, the demons screamed as well, and went streaking down the opposing corridor.

The leader was at the head of the pack, and while shaken, grinned. "Don't worry, there's no way he can keep up with OCD demons like us. We may be a new type of demon, but we shouldn't be underestimated!"

Then he looked back.

"Ahh! He's gaining on us! He's a monster!" Seeing the corridor bend up ahead, they put on an extra spurt of energy, and just as Soun was about to hit them with the spear, the last demon made it around the corner.

The leader turned around, just in time to see the naginata effortlessly carve away the corner and absorb the entire group of demons.

If Soun noticed he had hit his targets, he gave no sign of it. Absorbing the demons seemed to have given him a large burst of energy; he didn't stop charging, and, going at full-tilt down the corridors, he made incredible speed.

Occasionally, he would scream out a savage war cry into the air.

* * *

Ranma had searched nearly everywhere in the room. He'd picked up every object in the room, opened every cupboard and drawer he could find, and gotten nothing. He was starting to think that the mage hadn't put the figurines anywhere, and still had them on his body. Each second he got more and more anxious, thinking that the mage could return. Growling in frustration, he stared into the opaque crystal ball that he had searched early on. "Crystal ball, crystal ball, show me where the things I search for are."

As he stared the image of the figurines became clear. For a second, Ranma couldn't believe his eyes; then he grinned widely. "Alright! C'mon, crystal ball, show me where the figurines are! Give me a clearer image!"

He stared hopefully, but the image didn't change. Cursing, Ranma smacked the ball violently.

There was a tinkling sound from inside the crystal ball.

_Hah! Found you now!_ Picking the ball up, he was about to throw it violently into the ground, but then thought better of it. _Ah, the girls are in there. Don't want to hurt them._ He began to crack the ball sharply with his knuckle, hoping to crack it open like an egg, but it quickly became apparent that the ball was much, _much_ tougher than it looked. As in, impervious to any and all damage.

"Damn it!" Ranma said, putting the ball back down. "How am I supposed to get them out now!?" Staring at the ball furiously, he tried to think. _Hmm. How would this guy get it out of there? He's a magician, so... Magic!_

He'd already figured out how to make magic using his God Seed, so Ranma channeled some into his hand and placed it onto the crystal. His hand went right through the crystal, and with a little scrabbling Ranma soon had three figurines in his hand. _That was easy, _he thought, unaware that his unique method of channeling magic was not something anyone else could manage. "All right," he exclaimed, "Now to fix you guys!" Focusing once again, he threaded his ki into the figurines, allowing him to see what they were made of. To his senses there seemed to be some sort of circuit of magical energy, going around and around in a complex pattern. Taking a deep breathe and hoping he was doing the right thing, he snipped the circuits in the figurines.

Instantly the figurines disappeared, and in a poof of smoke Kasumi, Akane, and Kodachi reappeared in their stead – and promptly fell onto their butts. "Ouch!" Akane said, irritatedly. "Idiot, couldn't you set us down onto a table or something first!?"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Geez, I risk my life chasing some super-villain into his lair, and do I get any thanks? Of course not."

He turned away in disgust, but suddenly found Kodachi on his pack, wrapping her arms around him tightly. _Very_ tightly. "Oh, Ranma-sama, I wish to thank you. Please, let me repay you, in _whatever_ way you wish."

Akane turned red, her fist clenched so tight it was making creaking noises, and Kasumi put her a hand to her mouth. "My!" Kasumi said, "I had no idea that you were a rival for Ranma's love! Well, this makes things more complicated, doesn't it?"

"More complicated!?" Akane look like she was having a seizure. "Hah! It makes things simpler, actually! Makes sense that the slut and the pervert would end up together!"

Kodachi instantly let go of Ranma and turned to face Akane, livid with rage. "You _will_ take that back, or you find yourself lacking in whatever meager amount of charm your homely face gives you, I promise!"

The two girls stared each other down, but were interrupted by a strangled cry from Ranma. "You people are crazy, _all_ of you! Have you forgotten that a very powerful mage is going to come back any _second _now!?"

The two girls turned their anger on Ranma. "So? You'll just take care of him when he gets here, right Ranma?" Akane asked with annoyance.

"Yes, your masculine ferocity has no match!" Kodachi said, nodding.

"Exactly. So stop trying to delay the inevitable."

"Unless, of course, you are trying to keep us from resolving our conflict so you can keep us _both._"

"Yeah. That would be unacceptable."

"But so interesting!"

"Kasumi!" Akane turned to face her sister with shock. "How could you even _say_ that!?"

Kasumi pouted slightly. "What? It's like my own personal soap opera. I've never seen something this interesting on TV!"

Ranma shook his head. "You know what? Whatever. If you three don't get your act together and realize the danger you're in, I'll knock you out and carry you out of this place myself."

A different voice echoed out of the air. "Arrogant, aren't you? You really think you can escape this place while carrying three sacks of meat with you?"

Ranma whipped around to see a huge, bony devil standing inside one of the larger summoning circles. His eyes were white with black pupils, and he seemed to have no muscles on his body. _Oh shit! I can sense the demonic aura coming off him now – and it hasn't changed the whole time I was here! He must have been in here from the start, invisible or incorporeal – he was here the whole time!_

Just as Ranma was trying to figure out what to do, the mage entered in from the doorway, burned, bleeding, and exhausted. "That hag, she's really going all out! Mes'xivius, I need you to- Ah! It seems you have come, Ranma! Why haven't you captured them yet, Mes'xivius!"

"Forgive me, master," the devil said while bowing deeply, "I was preoccupied with other matters. I have only just returned."

Ranma looked at the devil warily. _He's lying to his own master... What's going on here?_

The mage grimaced. "_Now_ you decide to mess up, during the most important point of your contract!? Hurry up, go and devour that man!"

Mes'xivius grinned. "No."

The mage seemed shocked. "What!? How can you-" Then he turned white as a sheet. "No, it isn't possible! I _know_ all the rules by _heart, _and I haven't broken _any _of them!"

The devil stepped out of his circle, every step producing waves, like a man wading through a pool, of the powerful aura of hate that had plagued Ranma since he had entered into this place – this demon was, undoubtedly, the source of it. "Oh, you do. But it seems your grasp of the more dynamic aspects of the Code is not as firm as you wished. You see, if the number of a type of magics decreases below a certain amount, it is automatically placed on the list of Endangered Magics, which we demons are not allowed to be commanded to destroy. Jusenkyo is part of the Form, Body, and Soul changing magics – is, in fact, the _only_ such magic. It was destroyed a while back, and thus was entered onto the Endangered Magics list."

_Huh? _Ranma blinked. _But, _I'm _Jusenkyo right now! It wasn't destroyed..._

The mage caught on to this as well. "Jusenkyo wasn't destroyed! It was simply relocated!"

"Now, see, this is why you've lost. Jusenkyo _was_ destroyed; according to the Magical Re-definition Act, Clause 184, 'destruction' of magic of Jusenkyo's power isn't qualified as total destruction, as such a thing is impossible – only complete domain dissemination of the magic in question is required for it to be 'destroyed'. Which, of course, is what happened, right before it was reabsorbed into this boy here."

The mage blinked, and then with a cry tried to cut his arm, but Mes'xivius was on him before he could even move. The mage was trembling visibly as the demon held him in his iron grip, grinning a mouth full of teeth. "It was nice working for you," the demon said, "really. You gave me plenty of tasty people to munch on, but it's over now."

The mage turned to Ranma, a panicked look on his face. "You have to kill Mes'xivius, somehow! I no longer have any control of him; the instant he gets out of this sub-dimension, he'll be free to terrorize the earth as much as he wants! If a devil of his power gets his hands on even a thousand mortal souls, he'll be unstoppable! You have to stop him _now!_"

Mes'xivius smiled, teeth showing and madness evident in every crease of his face. "Oh, I'm not going to let them go to waste. Your process of absorbing people's Seeds through me using your own Seed was a good one – I have every intention of making Jusenkyo's power my own. But first, you're going to have to become my food."

And without further ado, the devil ate the mage. Messily.

Ranma flinched as blood splattered all over the place. Mes'xivius didn't seem to worry about how much of the man he ate. He'd gone right for the heart, sighed in pleasure as he ate it in one bite, and then continued with what seemed to be choice bits. His teeth went right through bone as if it were butter, and he plucked away flesh like it was paper-mache; Ranma couldn't help but watch with a certain sick fascination. It was like he was seeing some sort of massively superior predator play with his food.

After a minute, he seemed done, and turned back to Ranma. "Now it's your turn, boy."

Ranma backed up, the three girls behind him, trembling with fear. "Hey, didn't you say Jusenkyo is protected, or something? Isn't it illegal to hurt me?"

"Oh, quite. But while it's impossible to command me to do it, I am completely free to do it if it is of my own will. I'll get a slap on the wrist, but who cares? I'll have the power of Jusenkyo at my command."

Mes'xivius took a step forward. "Don't struggle. It'll just take longer."

Ranma felt an oppressing force in his mind, but it seemed to slide off like water. "I don't think so. I don't know how powerful you are, but I'm going down fighting."

The devil stopped, and then glared. "What!? How can you oppose my commands!? No one can oppose me in a dimension of my own creation!"

Ranma blinked, and then realized that there was, indeed, some sort of force consistently pulling on his mind, telling him 'not to struggle'. But... "It seems I have another promise to keep. I don't know why, but my promise to Nabiki seems to supersede yours."

Mes'xivius growled loudly, an evil sound like a wood chipper devouring an entire tree. "A human girl overpowering my magic!? I must see this myself!"

And before anyone could blink, they all disappeared.


	10. He's set in the excavation buisness!

Hello all. Here is chapter 10, the longest one yet, I believe. It certainly felt the longest!

In any case, lost and lots of action here! I enjoyed writing this, so I hope you enjoy reading it! Drop a review, please!

* * *

Xian Puu felt exhausted. Not physically, as Muu Suu's barrier was constantly refreshing her and had put her in peak condition a while ago, but mentally. A few minutes ago she had stopped trying to break down the barrier from the inside; in truth, the effort had been half-hearted, as she knew that going outside of it would be suicide. And, as much as it disgusted her, she knew that if she had to choose between saving her own life and Muu Suu's, she'd choose her own. Right now it wasn't coming down to that – the instant Muu Suu died, she'd be dead too – but the guilt she felt at the realization still dug into her mind relentlessly.

It had seemed like an eternity to Xian Puu, but in reality only fifteen minutes had passed since Muu Suu had raised his barrier. Muu Suu had been fighting bravely, but the little monstrous 'insects' that the demon was forming out of his own flesh kept coming back, endlessly. It was taking its toll, and Muu Suu was covered with small wounds, which were red and infected – the demon of disease was living up to his name.

Panting, Muu Suu, for what seemed the umpteenth time, poured buckshot into his sleeve. At the beginning of the fight he'd shot it out in small bursts, disintegrating the little beasts, but he'd improved his technique since then. Now he was shooting it out pellet by pellet – each one was plenty to kill the insects, as it literally blew holes in them, and it saved his energy. Unfortunately, it was a battle of attrition against an opponent who didn't tire – the result was inevitable.

Muu Suu raised his arm once again to fire at the approaching monsters – but suddenly groaned, and fell to his knees. Desperately his arm shot forward, the other hand at his chest, clutching it tightly, and he sprayed out pellets in machine-gun like bursts – a total waste of energy, but his aim had suddenly deteriorated. The insects were, once again, destroyed, but immediately began forming back together, restored fully.

Muu Suu, on the other hand, slowly sunk to the floor. All energy seemed to leave his body as it fell down, and as he stared at Xian Puu, and she stared back in horror, his eyes closed. A single tear of regret slid down his face, and then he was still.

Xian Puu felt frozen with fear, and then the shield suddenly disappeared. Without thinking she took in a breath, and was immediately paralyzed again. She fell to the ground; choking, panicking, all she could see was Muu Suu's still form, all she could hear was the demon's terrible laugh, and all she could feel... was pain. Pain in both her body, and in her heart.

_Damn it, Muu Suu, get up! You have to keep fighting!_ Her silent command seemed to somehow reach him, as he twitched, but his body was incapable of anything else. _Muu Suu, you have to do something! I don't want to die! I don't want you to die, either!_

"Well, that was fun." The demon seemed to be satisfied with the results of the drawn-out battle. "It's not often that I get such emotionally packed battles; it will make eating you two especially delicious. Now, I've fulfilled my part of the bargain; it's time to take you two back to my home plane to let you ripen."

The demon's casual disregard, _enjoyment_ even of her and Muu Suu's pain, awoke something within Xian Puu. A feeling of rage rose up and seemed to strangle her mind; she hadn't felt this angry for a long, _long_ time. Her life recently had been a long drawn out battle against disappointment after disappointment, of failure resulting from failure. She was an Amazon, and had persevered – after all, the prize, Ranma, was worth it. But she hadn't felt herself truly _opposed _by anything substantial ever since she'd left the village. It had always been things beyond her control, it seemed, ill luck and misfortune, which had plagued her.

Now a burning sensation, different from the cold stillness that resulted from the demon's paralysis, seared into her. She felt it especially in her lungs, and the pain suddenly became overwhelming. To her surprise, her body ceased being paralyzed, but it wasn't really on her mind – she was too busy thrashing in pain.

The demon, though, noticed. "What are you doing!? How are you able to move!?" The red gas swirled turbulently, and the insects turned toward Xian Puu's twitching form. "Enough. I will destroy you," the demon said coldly, all amusement gone from his voice.

The pain began to subside, and Xian Puu shakily got to her feet. The poison in the air no longer seemed to affect her; she could feel something different about her lungs, could feel them process the air so that she could breathe it. Every breath seemed to drain a little bit of ki out of her, but she was, thanks to Muu Suu, in top condition; she wasn't worried about it.

Instead, she turned to face the approaching insects. There were about a dozen, and they were made of an amalgam of claws, fangs, and wings. Some were flying, some were crawling, and all looked vicious; she'd seen how easily they ripped through flesh first hand.

The closest one leaped at her, and she barely manged to dodge it. The attack had been so sudden that she was unable to counter attack; the next one, though, met with her hand stiffened like a knife. However, the rest caught up, and began attacking in concert, and she found herself hard pressed to dodge their attacks, much less attack back.

Soon, far too quickly for her liking, they managed to get a few hits on her, and she could feel the poison enter her veins. The burning sensation from earlier came back, though, and the poison seemed to disappear. From that point on the insect's attacks no longer poisoned her – or if they did, it had no effect – but the cuts they were making were still damaging her. _A little more of this and I'll be cut to shreds. _Grimacing, Xian Puu made a desperate gamble.

Gathering up the majority of her ki, she tried to put it into her muscles like Konatsu had shown her. Forming a dense ball of emotion – of which she had plenty, right now – she injected it with the ki, and then spread it into the muscles in her legs and arms. Immediately she could feel the difference; she could also feel that she was being very inefficient, but it mattered little. The burst of speed and strength it gave her allowed to instantly smash all the insects around her.

Exhausted, she saw with dismay that the insect were once again reforming. The red gas was collecting around them, lifting the pieces up and knitting them back together. If they reassembled and attacked again, she'd have no hope of destroying them; she'd used up most of her ki in that last attack.

So, acting on instinct, she breathed in deep, as deep as she could.

And breathed, and breathed...

The demon gave a strangled squawk, and ceased trying to put his puppets back together as he began to be sucked in by Xian Puu. "Wha, what are you doing!?" he cried out. Xian Puu, on her part, was just as confused, but it seemed to be working. Her lung capacity seemed infinite, and her lungs were making short work of the demon once she'd actually breathed him in. It was disgusting, but out of everything that had happened during the fight it was working, so she continued to suck in air, and demon, as fast as she could.

The demon's tone turned from annoyance to fear. "Stop, stop! You can't do this, this is impossible, what are you _doing_ to me!?" Soon even the gas in the farthest corners of the room was getting sucked in, and, with a final scream, the the demon was totally absorbed, leaving the room a vacuum. When there was nothing left to suck in, Xian Puu found that her lungs were completely empty. Faced with a completely new problem, that of having nothing to breathe, she began to panic once again.

Then, the tension inside of her disappeared, and she released an earth-shattering fart that literally shook the room. Both her and Muu Suu's clothes were whipped around in the resulting gale, and when it finally stopped Xian Puu was sporting a deep red blush.

Thanking the gods that Muu Suu was unconscious, she rushed over and examined him. His wounds were still red and puffy, and were beginning to emit pus. He was breathing shallowly, but it was clear his condition was getting worse.

Once again gambling, Xian Puu used the blood from one of her open wounds and tried to pour it into one of his. She nearly collapsed from relief when the redness immediately began to subside, and the wounds all over his body began to slowly recover. She nearly felt like crying when his eyes fluttered open, and a groan came out of his lips.

Then his eyes opened wide in shock, and he both pressed his snorkel mask tightly to his face and pulled out another one for Xian Puu. "Oh, god! Xian Puu, quickly put this on!"

Xian Puu blinked at him, confused. "What are you talking about? It's over, I won the fight."

"That's all well and good, but his poison gas is still around! Rather, that bastard must have released something even worse; this stuff smells _rancid!_ Can't you smell it!?"

Xian Puu laughed nervously. "Ah, no, I'm fine. I'm, uh, using magic, so I'm fine. In fact, I don't think this is poisonous."

Muu Suu grimaced in disgust. "It doesn't need to be! A smell like this would knock out a bear! I can't believe that even a demon could create something this terrible; I feel violated simply letting it touch my skin! Whatever you did to destroy that demon, I'm glad; anything capable of producing a smell like this needed to be destroyed totally and utterly! In fact, I'd say that even further measures- Ow!" Muu Suu rubbed his head, where Xian Puu and smacked him. "What did I do!?"

"Just shut up and get up! You can do that, right?" Steaming with anger and embarrassment, Xian Puu pulled Muu Suu to his feet, where he was able to stand, if shakily. Looking around, she realized that the doors had once again opened, allowing them to exit. Part of her wanted to continue forward, but she knew that she and Muu Suu were only going to be a burden in any fights, much less actually win on their own, until they got some rest."Muu Suu, can you use that technique of yours again?"

"The healing sphere? Not without a little rest, no."

"Then let's get outside again. We need to recover from our fight."

Muu Suu looked unhappy, but nodded, and they both headed back the way they had come.

* * *

One moment, Ranma was trying to face down an angry demon with the remains of his latest meal splattered around him. The next, he was facing said demon, but outside, in front of the entrance to the demon-summoner's lair.

And he was standing on top of Nabiki.

"Ow!" she cried out, and then shoved his legs. Surprised, frightened, and tense, Ranma tried to both avoid her 'attack' through instinct, and leap off her. Instead he found himself sprawled on the group, tangled up with _Kodachi_. How these things happened to him he had no idea, but he was getting tired of it. As was Akane, from the look on her face. Actually, the fact that she could be worried about him cheating on her in this situation was both touching and alarming.

Ukyo and Konatsu both looked shocked, first by their sudden appearance, and then by the demon that had come with them. Without hesitation, Ukyo ripped the paper Cologne had given her in half – and then in half again, and a third time, just in case.

Nabiki, now on her feet, blinked when she saw the demon grinning sadistically in front of her. "Yes?" she asked impatiently. "Is there something you want from me?"

Mes'xivius smiled, showing his teeth. "Your soul."

Nabiki laughed, making Ranma cringe and Mes'xivius look less than pleased. "My soul? You and every other shallow trickster in Nerima! Believe me, you can't afford it."

"I don't trade," Mes'xivius said, "I take."

Nabiki frowned. "That's just rude. No one's going to do business with you with that attitude. Why would you even want my soul in the first place?"

"Because," the demon said, feeling a little off put by Nabiki's nonchalance, "you have developed a most interesting God Seed, and I want it for my own."

"A God Seed!?" Nabiki looked surprised, but quickly laughed it off. "Yeah, right. I'm not a martial artist; how would I get a God Seed?"

"Oh, there are other ways of gaining them. It only requires a powerful focus and any type of inner development; while development of ki is the most common way, there are... other types of energy one can develop."

"Oh!" Kasumi exclaimed loudly, clapping her hands together lightly. "I see!"

Nabiki switched between giving the demon and Kasumi paranoid glances. "What!? What do you see!?"

Kasumi smiled serenly. "Oh, nothing. Continue on."

Nabiki's eyelid was now twitching as she stared at Kasumi, and it required the demon politely coughing for her to fix her attention back on him. "Please don't ignore me. It hurts my feelings."

"Oh please, you big baby." Nabiki gave the demon a disgusted look that spoke volumes for exactly how much respect she had for him. "Ranma, deal with this joker, would you?"

Ranma was nearly having a nervous fit from the tension that was coursing through his body. He'd managed to disentangle himself from Kodachi with a little effort, and had been in a combat stance ever since. "It's, uh, a little more complicated than that, Nabiki. Remember that guy that was facing off against both our fathers and holding his own, if not winning?"

Nabiki glared, annoyed at Ranma's hesitance to get the job done. "Yeah, so what? Is this guy a minion of his or something?"

"Well, he _was_. A few minutes ago, he effortlessly killed and ate that blood mage."

"Oh." Nabiki said. "OH."

"Yes, 'Oh'." Mes'xivius glared. "While I have to appreciate a woman who can hold her cool while under the influence of my aura of hate-"

"Huh?" Nabiki looked confused. "Aura of hate? What are you talking about?"

Ranma's eyes were starting to roll back into his head, and the demon was developing a twitch himself, but continued speaking. "In _any_ case, I'm done conversing with you. I don't know exactly what kind of energy you developed into a God Seed, but it matters little. I'll find out once I devour your heart."

Nabiki put her hands up. "Now, just hold on there! You want my soul? Fine, let's make a deal." _He, he may be right. Something inside of me seems to be telling me that I do indeed have one of these Seeds in me. If he's telling the truth, then I think I've figured out what my God Seed is. If I'm right..._

Kasumi frowned. "Nabiki!"

"Not now, sister!" Nabiki turned back to the demon, and with all the mental might she could muster she began to push his mind in the direction she wanted it to go. "You want my soul? Fine. You can have it, if you agree to do me a favor first. Unless you complete this favor in its entirety, you don't get anything."

Mes'xivius growled once again, frustrated, but somehow, someway, some part of him wanted to agree with this strange woman's request. _I guess I respect her will more than I thought. No matter. Once I have her soul, I can quickly continue with my plans._ "Fine. One favor, and then your soul is mine."

Something seemed to click into place, and while Nabiki looked pale from effort, she had a broad smile on her face. "You know what my God Seed is?"

The demon glared at her. "What?"

"Any deals I make, if properly 'reinforced' during their conception, must be followed to the letter. Now, die please."

Mes'xivius smiled at her, amused despite himself.

Then he was no longer so amused.

Eyes wide in shock, Mes'xivius fell to his knees, clutching at his heart. His entire body was trembling, and a groan of pain escaped his lips. For her part, Nabiki had fallen to the ground herself, fighting off unconsciousness. Her skin was pale, and sweat was pouring off her. Everyone dashed over to her side, worry, and a little relief at her apparent victory, on their faces.

"Sis!" Akane was the first to get there. "What's wrong!? Are you alright!?"

Struggling for breath, Nabiki grimaced when she turned to her sister. "I kinda thought it would be harder to force someone to do something they'd be fundamentally opposed to, like dying, but I had no idea it would be this bad. I'm, I'm not sure I can finish this."

Ranma was on his knees at her side, concern on his face. "Don't push yourself, Nabiki! I'm sure I'll figure out something, so just let it go!"

Nabiki coughed. "I don't think I have a choice. I did the best I could; you'll have to finish it off." Trailing off, her eyes closed, and she lapsed into unconsciousness.

Mes'xivius stopped groaning in pain and got to his feet, but he was obviously severely damaged. He wasn't able to totally stop his trembling, and his footing was a little unsteady, but he was in command of his body – and Ranma could tell that, even now, he was a humongous threat. "Brats!" he growled out. "I'm going to take my time devouring you!"

"Just try it!" Ranma said with false confidence, the mental conditioning of the Anything Goes style (Bluff! Then bluff some more! Try some lying and cheating to switch things up!) kicking in. "I've faced worse threats than you, imp."

Despite the pain and his annoyance, Mes'xivius laughed. "Hah! I'm one of the seven lords of hell, avatar of Pride and master of the art of Conquest! Only the other lords of hell are my equal, and even that is debatable!"

Ranma's smile flickered a little, but just a little. "Hah! If you're the master of conquest, then I'm the master of ass-kicking – and I _spe__cialize_ in arrogant assholes!" _I'm also the master of bluffing._

Mes'xivius said nothing – he just grinned once more, and then rushed forward.

He was almost too fast for Ranma to see – but thanks to the pain the demon was suffering, he was _just_ able to block his hand, claws outstretched, from reaching his face. Unfortunately, Mes'xivius's strength was ridiculous; despite getting both hands in the way and bracing against the ground, Ranma found himself flying backwards. His flight ended when he smashed into a wall, demolishing it, and it took him a few seconds to recover – seconds Mes'xivius did not waste, catching up to him and swiping once again. Knowing it was coming, Ranma was able to get out of the way, but only barely.

_Forget his speed, this guy is _strong!_ There's no way I can block more hits; I have to dodge! I need to be faster, more agile..._ Without really thinking about it, Ranma transformed into a girl, and found it just a little bit easier to avoid the hits. It wasn't easy, but she focused on avoiding blows and waiting for her chance.

Mes'xivius, however, wasn't stupid. Seeing that Ranma was focusing on dodging his blows, he switched tactics. Leaping backwards, he spread out his bony wings and flapped them once. Instantly he shot into the air and began circling around Ranma, who was cautiously following his flight.

All of a sudden Mes'xivius turned into a dive, and at a speed many times previous streaked towards Ranma. Caught off guard, Ranma couldn't keep up, and she suffered a direct hit to the chest from one of the demon's heavy paws. Screaming in pain, she went flying backwards once more, hitting a wall. This time she stayed down, writing.

Mes'xivius decided to land, and stalked closer, grinning. "So sad, that you know so little about the powers of Jusenkyo. Turning into a girl; what a silly and perverted use for such a splendid power."

He was interrupted by every other martial artist there suddenly dashing in between him and Ranma. "I think not!" Kodachi said, outraged. "Turning a girl is a splendid use of such a power!"

"Yeah!" Akane said, and then blinked. "Well, actually I totally agree with you, but I'm going to stop you nonetheless!"

"That's right! We won't let you hurt our Ranma!" Ukyo brandished her spatula and fingered some bags that she had tied to her belt.

Konatsu turned all of his focus towards Mes'xivius. "What Ukyo wishes, I make come true. You will stop here, demon."

Mes'xivius growled angrily. "Get out of my way, flies! I don't have time for you!"

"Meaning," Ranma said in exhaustion as she got up, holding a hand to her chest as she forced herself to walk in front of the others, "You don't have the energy to take us all on. Nabiki's little 'deal' must have done quite a number on you."

Mes'xivius growled again, but didn't refute the claim. Instead, he reached behind him with one outstretched claw and slashed it downwards. The air itself seemed to tear, and a rip in the very fabric of the world opened up. Stepping out of it came an ugly demon, who bowed to Mes'xivius and then glowered at the martial artists. It was followed by a second, and then a third. "There," Mes'xivius said confidently, "That should be more than enough to deal with you pests. Now, I'm going to finish our fight, Ranma!"

With a flap of his wings Mes'xivius was once again airborne. He circled around, looking like a vulture searching for its supper. Ranma closed her eyes, and focused briefly before opening them again. "I'll be okay, you guys, but I need to draw this guy off. You'll have to handle these demons, alright?"

"Ranma," Akane said disbelievingly, but she was cut off by a finger to her lips, which caused her to blush.

"Don't argue. I'll take him down, trust me on this. Just worry about yourselves, alright? I'm pretty sure the others will head back here; that demon's aura is pretty hard to ignore. Just hold on till then, alright?"

Akane nodded hesitantly, as did Ukyo and Konatsu. Kodachi, however stepped forward. "Ranma, don't you _dare_ do anything stupid! You're my future husband/wife, so you have to take care of yourself!"

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Whatever, you crazy lady. I'm not going to lose, so don't lose your head, alright?"

Kodachi frowned imperiously, but then suddenly lost all pretenses of arrogant command. "Please," she said quietly, but desperately, "please win, Ranma. I need you."

Taken back, Ranma looked confused as to what to do, but Mes'xivius answered for him by slowing his circling. Dashing off, Ranma looked back one last time and waved, then leaped onto the top of the hill. "Hey, ugly and incompetent! Want to play a game?"

Mes'xivius smiled. "Oh, I'm already having enough fun as it is. I'll have to pass."

"Too bad! I feel like playing hide and seek, so that's what we're going to do. You're it!"

Grinning arrogantly, Ranma disappeared from view.

Mes'xivius gawked briefly, and then focused. Smiling, he flew past where Ranma had been and continued forward at high speed.

The three girls and one ninja watched as Mes'xivius disappeared behind one of the undamaged walls, and then turned to the three remaining demons. The lead one gave them a hard stare. He was abnormally tall and thin, lightly muscled, and gave out an air of brittle, unbending willpower. His two subordinates, one a large but muscle-bound male, and the other a scrawny-looking female with spiked armor over various parts of her body, both stepped forward. "Our Lord called, and we three obey," said the leader. "I am Ambition. He," Ambition continued, pointing towards the remaining male, "is Confidence, and lastly, she is Cowardice. We are Lord Mes'xivius's three lieutenants, and we will destroy you without hesitation."

Konatsu stepped to their forefront, taking command. "I will take Ambition. Ukyo-sama, please take care of Confidence, and Akane, please deal with Cowardice. Kodachi, please support those who need it, but if you get in the way, please retreat. I mean no offense, but you are the least well equipped out of us all, having no God Seed."

Kodachi looked non-plussed, but nodded in understanding. Then they split up, turning towards their respective opponents. The demons seemed open to the idea of individual matches, and faced off as well. For a second they engaged in a staring match, and then dashed towards each other.

* * *

Ranma was having more trouble than she thought she would. She had activated the Umisenken's signature stance and started dashing from building to building, but to her surprise Mes'xivius had quickly seen through it and followed her. It had been less than a minute since she'd run off and Mes'xivius was already on her back and closing in. Scratch that – Ranma barely ducked in time to avoid the demon's sweeping attack. Hitting the ground hard, she grimaced in pain as the open wound on her chest started bleeding just a little bit faster.

"Damn it, I need to do something about that," Ranma said to herself, panting with effort. Her vision was starting to blur, and the pain was nothing to laugh about. "If only I could use my Seed better! All I can turn into are my male and female forms, but I'm sure I can do something better!"

Taking the opportunity to focus while Mes'xivius regained his height, Ranma tried to activate her Seed once again, to change into something, _anything_, other than her male self. Unfortunately, she found herself male; to his surprise, though, the wound on his chest was gone. Experimentally, he switched back into a female, and the wound was still gone.

_Well, this changes things! _Ranma grinned, but then went back to a grimace when Mes'xivius dived again, his claws literally turning the stone it hit instead of Ranma into powder. _Then again, regeneration won't make a difference if he rips my head off. There's _got_ to be something I can do! Think, Ranma! Think!_

Trying her best to force her brain into overdrive, Ranma started searching for answer. _I can turn into a guy and a girl because I know those forms really well. Are there any other forms I know well?_ She searched her memories, but only a few came to mind. _I know all my rivals pretty well; recently I've been hitting them with ki-enhanced attacks, and that's given me a pretty good understanding of their bodies. But turning into one of them isn't going to help; I _am_ better than them, after all._

Ranma suddenly opened her eyes wide. "Oh! That might work! But I didn't get a very good image 'cause I was worried about other things. Well, nothing to lose, I guess." Focusing, Ranma tried to build the image he needed in his mind – only to be interrupted by Mes'xivius's attack. "Hey, asshole! Give it a break, why don't you!"

Mes'xivius said nothing, only began to circle once again.

Ranma cursed, and then brightened a little. "Well, that might work, but I'll probably die. I'm going to die anyway if that continues, though, so no worries!" Briefly, the worried face of Akane, and the surprisingly vulnerable and open face of Kodachi, came to mind, but she shrugged and squared her shoulders. _Nothing to it but to try and hope for the best._

Ranma turned to face Mes'xivius once again. "Hey, what's-your-name, Messy Iggy or whatever."

The demon gave an indignant snort. "It's _Mes'xivius, _mortal. At least know the name of your executioner."

"Yeah, whatever Iggy. I just wanted to know, how long are you going to play around?"

Mes'xivius stopped in midair. "_What!?_"

"You heard me." Ranma gave the best cocky stare she could muster. She used every arrogant body signal she knew, bent her ki into a simulacrum of an aura of confidence, and filled her voice with palpable disdain. "You can't possibly think I'm going to take you seriously with just this, do you? I bet they call you Iggy the Imp back at home, 'cause the only thing _you're _lord of is your own incompetence!"

An aura of dark flame, which seemed to eat away at the light rather than give it off, ignited around Mes'xivius, and with an angry roar he dived once again, using the flame as a sort of rocket booster to accelerate his speed to many times his original. In an instant, he streaked into the place where Ranma-

wasn't.

Confused, Mes'xivius immediately braked in the air, but felt something fly off his shoulder. Gaping in surprise, he saw Ranma, who, in an act of insane bravery, had leaped upwards and snatched the demon's shoulder in the middle of his high-speed dive, go flying off into the air. Mes'xivius once again accelerated himself using his dark flame, but it would still be at least a minute until he caught up, and Ranma wouldn't be hitting the ground any time soon.

Which was exactly what Ranma wanted. Focusing (She was used to flying through the air), Ranma tried to pull the image of the person she wanted to emulate into her head. Unfortunately, it wasn't all there; she couldn't very well turn into an incomplete person, so she began to reconstruct the image from her memories.

Mes'xivius was catching up, though, and Ranma realized that she wasn't going to have enough time. _Damn, I can't dodge in midair. It's now or never! Maybe I can graft the parts I have onto my own body... It's worth a try!_

Closing in, Mes'xivius outstretched both of his claws and prepared to rip Ranma into shreds with one attack. Five seconds away from impact, he grinned, and dark fire burst into existence around his hands. Then, with sharp crack as his hands alone broke the sound barrier, he slashed his hands into Ranma's stomach.

Feeling something connect, Mes'xivius smiled grimly and held up the piece of meat he had grabbed, only to find it was a leg. Furious, he turned around. _How could she dodge!? She was in the middle of the damn air!_ His thoughts were interrupted, though, by the sight of Ranma.

Now sporting a pair of white, black-tipped wings, Ranma hovered in the air, holding her leg in pain. It had indeed been ripped off, but grew back as Mes'xivius watched. Shakily grinning with the first bit of real confidence she had felt all day, Ranma held her hands out and channeled fire into them, an intense white flame that seared the air and created shimmering heat waves. "Alright, Iggy. Let's get started for real."

Mes'xivius sneered, and let his own dark flame fill his hands. "Please. This changes nothing. I was prepared for such eventualities from the start."

Ranma grinned. "We'll see about that, huh?"

The two winged fighters flew at each other, flames clashing and filling the sky with swirling streaks of both light and darkness.

* * *

Demons were highly resistant to knives, Kontasu had found out. In fact, they were resistant to punches, kicks, spikes, saw blades, drills, airborne irritants, and small explosives as well, which made a fair portion of his arsenal useless. Every time he managed to actually do some damage it was almost immediately regenerated, as well. Things were not looking good.

As he threw yet another pair of knives, pouches of irritating dust rigged to explode on impact trailing behind on invisible strings, Konatsu back flipped and tried to get some space. Ambition ignored the knives and, while he was surprised by the pouches, the irritant did not affect him. "You're a tricky human, that's for certain. But your tricks cannot harm me. When I find you I will destroy you, and it will only be a little longer till I distinguish your life force's signature, and then you will be able to hide no longer."

Konatsu raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" He had led the demon a little ways off from the others just so that his tricks and illusions couldn't be viewed by Ambition's comrades and given away. They had ended up in the canal; there was little cover in the canal, but all Konatsu had to do was slip over the fence and the demon was all by himself in an area that was wide open, and thus easy to manipulate.

The small stuff didn't seem to be working, though; he'd have to advance to the more complicated tricks. Sending out a clone to distract the demon, once again Konatsu sought refuge over the fence. This time, though, he was here for a separate purpose. Looking around, he spotted his target – a fire hydrant. He dashed over and, with a well aimed blow, sent a geyser of water shooting outwards. A little jury-rigging, and the jet was aimed into the canal, above the demon.

Sending another clone to distract Ambition from investigating the water, Konatsu went off in search of another hydrant. He continued to break them and constrain the contents to the canal, and soon the canal was waist high in water. Returning to the demon, Konatsu could see that Ambition was getting highly irritated; undoubtedly, it was finding itself incapable of identifying Konatsu's aura.

"Come out, bug!" the demon yelled, suddenly looking more furious than before. "I will break your bones and _destroy_ you! Come out!"

_Hmm. Either he's highly volatile and quite insane – which, considering his nature, is very possible – or he's acting angered so that I'll make my move and reveal myself. Well, he's obviously never fought a ninja before, at least not a ninja of my class. There is no need to reveal myself to destroy __someone like you!_

Pulling various packages out of his clothes, Konatsu unwrapped them and quickly prepared his tools. Once he was done, he grabbed a few wires in his hand and teeth, and quietly slipped a large piece of silk into the water.

Ambition whipped around – not like the furious berserker he was pretending to be, but the cautious planner Konatsu had suspected he really was. Seeing nothing, not even a ripple, he spread out his senses once again in the hopes of catching Konatsu's 'scent'. As he looked around, he was once again caught off guard – as a huge dragon burst out of the water!

It took him only a second to realize it was only a huge streamer, but that was all Konatsu needed. Quickly grabbing another tool, he threw it into the air over Ambition's head. As Ambition blinked, strings of dynamite draped themselves over his shoulders, and then went off. The explosions sounded off, one after another in a string of over a dozen, leaving only a cloud of smoke standing over the water. Konatsu watched intently, looking for any sign of movement. _Lets see how well you weather the Tank Silencer._

As the smoke cleared, it revealed Ambition still standing, grimacing in pain and pock-marked by the explosions but otherwise fine. Even as Konatsu watched, the wounds Ambition had suffered began to heal, albeit at a much slower rater than before. _Seems you are as tough as your confidence in victory attested to. But I am not done yet!_

As Ambition fingered the wound on his forehead, the air was suddenly full of smoke, bursts of light, and shooting shapes. As Ambition held up a hand to block one of the shapes that shot towards him, he scowled when it turned out to only be a paper airplane. "More distractions. Eventually, I will-"

He stopped and grunted in pain, and looked down to see a steel crossbow bolt sticking out from one of his larger wounds, in his side. He gripped it and began to pull, but stopped when he realized it was barbed. Gritting his teeth, he got a tighter grip on it – only to realize that it wasn't just a bolt. The end of the bolt was much thicker than the tail and had a blinking red light on it.

A light that suddenly turned solid, and beeped.

This time the explosions was both louder and sharper, contained within Ambition's body as it was. Konatsu was satisfied to hear a demonic shriek echo out. There wasn't as much smoke this time, so Konatsu could clearly see Ambition hunched over his side, one hand trying but failing to cover the gaping wound there. Seeing the opening he had been waiting for, Konatsu dashed forward and began to throw a hail of needles towards the wound. The poison they were coated would have instantly paralyzed an elephant with just a few; the dozens Ambition was taking directly into a heavily bleeding wound should, in all fairness, strike him dead.

It appeared to have no effect, however. Ambition just growled, disappeared from sight, and then reappeared right behind Konatsu. "Found you!" He sang, exultation overriding the irritation in his voice.

Konatsu tried to dodge, but the demon's hand got a solid hit on his side – a hit which sent him flying down the canal with a dozen broken bones. When Konatsu finally stopped moving, he found Ambition standing over him once again, the wound from the dynamite already healed and the one from the C4-laden crossbow bolt starting to close. Vision blurring, Konatsu crushed three smoke bombs in his hand and replaced himself with a clone, which was almost instantly destroyed. "Illusionist!" Ambition cried out, real anger in his voice. "You will not escape me a second time!"

"I don't need to," Konatsu whispered to himself, the pain from his side making it more of a whimper. Ambition whirled around, trying to find the source of the noise, but Konatsu was already gone.

Ambition scanned around, the _closeness_ of his victory making his blood boil. He always started patient, but when he got close to his goal he inevitably wanted to get there all the faster. He _was_ Ambition, after all. But he had lived with this flaw for millennia, and he would live with it for millennia more.

There was a splashing sound behind him, and he turned to see the cloth dragon from before rise from the water. "This again!? You are clearly... clearly..." He trailed off, unable to believe his eyes.

The dragon was real.

Long and serpentine, it rose from the water (impossible as that was), coiling into the air. Its scales were thick and lustrous, and tinted with gold powder, as if it had recently been sleeping on its horde. The colors, mixtures of jade green and ocean blue, made it hard to see where it began and where it ended as they shimmered and shone in the faded light of the strange reality of the pocket dimension they were fighting in. The water from the canal streamed down its sides, splashing and splattering and forming miniature waterfalls. It rose high into the air, higher and higher, until it was nearly twenty stories tall.

Then, with a roar that sent the water rippling in foot-high waves and Ambition to his knees, It lunged back downwards, swallowing Ambition in a single gulp.

When it had disappeared, Konatsu gave a small smile and began winding the silk dragon up. _See, Ryoga-sama? Turning illusion into reality is hardly a useless skill._

Then he fainted.

* * *

When Konatsu had led the leader of the demons off to fight his own battle, Ukyo was a little worried. Only a little, though; Konatsu might very well sacrifice his own life to protect Ukyo's, but he'd do his best to survive first. After all, part of serving someone was continuing to be there in the future so one could serve them again.

Rather quickly, though, that worry had dissappeared – or rather, been superseded by worry for her _own _life. The demonConfidence, it turned out, was some sort of muscle-maniac martial artist who kept switching styles on her every few minutes. He didn't even _need_ to, either; he could have easily pounded her into the ground with his initial assault, but had backed off at the last second to give Ukyo a chance to recover and counter-attack. Or _try_ to counter-attack; the guy's defense was not only rock solid, but he used a different way to fend off her spatula every time – had, in fact, used a powerful punch to reduce it to crumpled metal a few minutes ago.

Guess that was why he was called Confidence. Or _was_ Confidence, or however demons worked.

Now all she had were her little creations, which Konatsu had handily packed for her. She'd had to watch over them so that they didn't try to disembowel him while he was wrapping them up, but now she had over a dozen bags full of lethal pieces of dough – or _had _a dozen, at least. They hadn't proven as lethal as she had thought; the gingerbread men had been ripped apart without effort, and while the rolls were mainly indestructible, they weren't doing anything, either. Confidence was using some sort of aura attack to push them away whenever they got close.

Her potions were still working, but while they gave her plenty of energy, they failed to heal any of her wounds, which were beginning to accumulate. Out of the dozen that were strapped to her belt, she'd only used two packages, but all she had was mass quantities of them in the first place. When she'd tested them, the gingerbread men had been ferocious attackers that, when equipped with rock candy chain-saws (she was proud of those!), had been quite deadly. They'd never even gotten close to Confidence, though.

Confidence leaped in again, a toothy grin on his face as he used some strange variant of Muay Tai that turned him into a literal whirlwind of arms, legs and elbows. As he approached (slowly, to savor her fear she guessed), Ukyo swore and pulled the only other thing she had aside from her little soldiers. In it was an arm-mounted cannon made of glaze and pastry – the rocket-propelled ammunition for which she had not yet developed. Instead, she pulled out another bag of rolls, loaded one into the front, and fired it off.

Of course, the reason she had restrained from doing this before was because as soon as the rolls left her bag and became alive again (the bags reduced them to inanimate lumps – another creation she'd found out through luck), they began to weigh about fifty pounds – difficult to carry, certainly, but the knock back from the force required to launch them out of her arm-cannon nearly dislocated her arm. She grunted in pain as the roll left the cannon, shrieking against the wind, and then grunted in disappointment when it just _barely_ missed, turned aside by Confidence's whirlwind. Understandably he accelerated, and Ukyo only had time to fire off another shot before he got close to her.

That shot, though, was point blank range, and while she had to strangle back a scream, Confidence had no such opportunity; the roll, which hit him in the arm, produced a sick crunch as it shattered bone. Confidence screamed out loud and backed up; he still had his crazy grin on, so apparently he was masochistic.

_Oh, wonderful,_ Ukyo thought, switching the cannon to her other arm to give it some rest. Confidence shook out his broken arm, grunted as it stretched, swelled, and then set itself, and then rushed forward again with the other arm outstretched to grab her. Ukyo was able to fire another shot off, but it only grazed him this time, making him back up but dealing little damage.

_This isn't going well, _Ukyo thought, glancing around to see Akane having her own problems. _I hope Ryoga, or Shampoo, or _someone_ gets back here soon, or we're going to get floored._

* * *

Yet another Akane dissappeared in a poof of Deific energy as Cowardice pierced it with a spear. The demon seemed to have an infinite supply; all she had to do was pull on her spikes, and a five-foot long spear would be in her hands. She alternated between throwing them, using them as spears, and spinning them like bo-staffs, and while Akane could have possibly found an opening if she stuck to one form, Cowardice knew her weaknesses well, and switched up her style when ever Akane thought she might have an opportunity to strike.

She'd formed a dozen Akane-clones, of the red anger variant, at the start of the fight, only to have them disintegrated nearly instantly. She'd stuck to the more cautious-oriented yellow Akane-clones after that, and they'd lasted longer, but she was still losing them, and each time one was destroyed Akane felt weaker. She'd already drunk the potion Ukyo had tossed to her at the beginning of the fight, and her energy was once again dipping.

Annoyed at her own apparent weakness, but afraid more of being beaten and killed, she turned around. "Kodachi, can't you help or something!?"

Kodachi sighed. "Please. I'm a little busy planning how I'm going to reward Ranma when she, or he, gets back. That's what it comes down to in the end, though; He, or She. The skills of seduction are subtly different for a heterosexual male than a homosexual woman. Which one should I prepare for..." Kodachi trailed off, lost in thought once again.

"Kodachi! Think less of impossible futures, and more of the present!"

"Oh, fine, hag! You owe me, though!" Kodachi stepped forward. "So, slut, you're called Cowardice?"

Cowardice turned her attention to Kodachi "What did you call me? I'd be flattered, but the fact that I'm apparently attractive to you disgusts me."

"Well! You've got quite the mouth on you! Don't worry, I'm not interested; someone as cheap as you can't _possibly _be disease free."

"You couldn't afford a session with me if you owned the Heavens and the Earth in their entirety. I multiply the cost exponentially for unsavory clients, and sleeping with an in-bred, deluded freak-of-nature like yourself is right at the top of the list."

"Ah, the brilliant are ever plagued by the ignorance of their lessers. Certainly, I must seem deluded to you. But then, I suppose someone who sees phallic objects everywhere would see everything that way."

Cowardice blushed slightly. "How did you-!"

"Oh, I can see it in your eyes. They twitch slightly whenever Akane hold her hammer especially tightly."

Cowardice glowered for a minute, and then regained her haughty attitude. "Never mind. I've never been one to talk when I could be killing." Suddenly and without warning Cowardice flashed her arm out and sent her spear flying towards Kodachi. Akane, all twelve of her, tried to intercept, but were barely able to register that the spear had moved at all before it got to Kodachi. Kodachi, for her part, was smiling arrogantly as she quickly pulled out six spiked batons and interlocked them into a shield, which she interposed between her and the spear.

The spear went through them like a knife through butter.

The shrapnel went flying into Kodachi, hitting her face and opening several small cuts. Kodachi reeled back in pain, and raised her left arm to wipe away the blood – only to realize that it _wasn't there._ The pain suddenly hit her, and she fell to her knees screaming, holding the ragged stump of her left arm with her right hand, trying to stop the bleeding. Eyes rolling, she leaned back against a wall and gritted her teeth, trying to fight the pain.

Akane, disgusted and terrified by what she had seen, felt like throwing up, but instead sent half her clones to protect Kodachi and went with the others to see Ukyo. _She's got to have something to __help with this, something, SOMETHING!_ _Oh, christ, I don't like Kodachi but I can't let her _die! _She'll bleed to death if I don't do something fast!_

Her thought were interrupted by a flight of spears, nearly a dozen all at once. Akane looked back to see that Cowardice had ejected her spikes all at once, and was already regenerating them. "Playtime's over. I'm not one to enjoy a fight, so now that I've had my fun instilling you with fear, I'm going to kill you now."

Cowardice said this so matter-of-factly, so assuredly, that Akane felt her knees tremble. When she glanced back at Kodachi she realized that, unless she dedicated her all to just defending Kodachi, Kodachi wouldn't live long enough to get _any _treatment. Shaking, she turned to face Cowardice.

The demoness launched another salvo of spears, this time towards Kodachi. The clones surrounding her thrust out their hammers and expanded them to the size of small cars. Most of the clones timed it right and used the momentum of the expansion to knock the spears away, but a few got it slightly off and found themselves impaled, their hammers split in half. Akane quickly remade them, but even the new burst of fear she was experiencing only managed to fuel one or two on its own, the rest requiring yet more of her ki.

_When I was experimenting before, emotion was good enough to fuel my clones, but I went past that limit a long time ago. I can't fight for much longer; my emotions are spent. I've got nothing left..._

_That's not true!_

Akane flinched despite herself. _Ranma! Not now!_

_Stop calling me that! I'm nothing like that prude! Anyways, since you're about die, let me out. I want to stretch me legs – to walk, of course. Let me OUT!_

The urges that Akane had been fighting for most of her grown life suddenly reappeared, much stronger than ever. Given a calm situation, Akane might have fought it off. Now, however, she could hardly focus all of her attention on an internal fight, and her internal 'Ranma' managed to get in control for one, brief second.

That was all it needed. In that second, over a hundred Akane-clones appeared, all bearing the pink pin to signify their allegiance. Looking around, drooling in anticipation, they spotted Cowardice, who was slowly letting her spikes extrude farther and farther. "Oh," one said, "you look delicious!" As a crowd, they charged.

Cowardice, surprised by the sudden increase in numbers, shot her spears at and impaled a dozen – but dozens more leaped forward in their place. Suddenly frightened, Cowardice turned to run – only to be caught and pinned to the ground. She tried to fight off her assailants, but there were too many. A few seconds later her spears regenerated, and she prepared to shoot them out again, but a heavy force settled over her mind, making her thought cloud.

_You don't want to do that, _a voice seemed to say, and suddenly Cowardice felt very calm. Not calm, actually; of all things, she felt _aroused_. _Yes, _the voice said,_ feel it, feel what I feel. You need it, I need it, and it's all so, so simple..._

The real Akane was a little confused, but realized a turn of luck when she saw one. She rushed over to Kodachi. "Are you alright? Kodachi, can you hear me?"

Kodachi looked at Akane, eyes slightly off focus. "Hear you, Akane? Of course I can hear. I am a Kuno; I have an over-abundance of nobility at my disposal!"

_Great, she's delusional and non-coherent. _"That's nice, Kodachi, but I need you to come with me. We need to see Ukyo, alright? I'll help you up."

Akane pulled Kodachi to her feet, but Kodachi ripped her hand away. "A Kuno needs no _help_ from a _commoner!_" Immediately she fell back to the ground. "Huh? How did I all back to the ground? Well, I guess it must be better to be on the ground. A sign of the Gods, delivered to the noble Kunos! How fitting!" She laughed, and then seemed to black out for a moment. "Huh? Akane, what are you doing there? Help me up already- no! Wait! Kuno's need no help! I can get up on my- oof. Well, I guess it's my place to be on the ground. A Kuno's instincts know best, after all!" She laughed, again.

"Oh, for crying out loud! Kodachi, you need to get help, _now!_ If you don't-" Akane was interrupted by a loud sound coming from a little off, and she turned around to see a huge serpentine dragon towering in the distance. "Holy shit! What the hell is that!?"

Kodachi sniffed. "A snake, fool. I see nothing out of the ordinary. Are you so unfamiliar with serpents?"

"If that's a snake I'm a cow."

"You _do_ understand! How wonderful!"

Akane pinched the bridge of her nose. "Kodachi, I'm debating whether or not to save you. I'm not normally such a bitch, so I've decided to accredit it to you. Now, as I was saying, if you don't let me help you over to Ukyo, I'm going to-"

Again she was interrupted, this time by Cowardice throwing the clones high into the air with a roar of anger. For some reason the demon looked flushed. "Evil woman, I will not be defeated by such tricks! I will destroy you!"

Akane clenched her fists tightly, anger overcoming her fear just slightly. "You know, for someone named Cowardice, you're pretty brave. None of those clones are dead yet."

The clones were indeed still alive; angry at being thwarted, the pink Akane-clones pulled out their hammers and increased their size many times, until they were the size of vans. However, Cowardice shot out a dozen spears once again – but this time, they curved and twisted in the air, obeying her will. They shot through a clone each, and then twisted to go through another, and another. When they had shot past the last one, they turned around and weaved back into the Akane-clones once again. When they finally hit the ground, no Akane-clones were left.

Cowardice sneered, and motioned with one of her hands. As she walked forward the spears lifted themselves up and returned to her body. "I'm going to destroy you both utterly; _never_ have I been more humiliated!"

Akane gathered her courage, as well as her remained yellow clones, and stepped forward. "That's just too bad. You obviously haven't ever visited Nerima before. You don't spend much time here without getting humiliated in one way or another."

"And I will never again be coming to this rot-hole again. You will die, Lord Mes'xivius will be pleased, and I will return home, in preparation to capture your pathetic souls on their way to wherever they go. Know well, that even if your soul is destined for the heavens, it will end up in my grasp nonetheless. Know well, that the suffering you two will experience at my hands will be unending and unrelenting. Know well, that when I am-"

This time it was the demoness' turn to be interrupted. The ground began shaking, and both Akane and Cowardice stumbled. Kodachi, of course, muttered something about 'drunken fools', and then lapsed back into unconsciousness. Then the shaking stopped, and the two combatants looked around warily.

"Well-" Cowardice began, but just as she spoke the round underneath her exploded – followed by Ryoga, who Akane was never happier to see. Ryoga looked around, tense and a little wild-eyed, but when he spotted Akane, who had several small wounds from her fight, he fell to the ground in anguish.

"_Noooooo!_ Akane, please believe me, I didn't mean to hurt you! I thought I was aiming for someone else, someone I didn't recognize and was fighting you! Please! You have to believe me!"

Akane gripped her hammer tightly. _Why am I surrounded by fools?_ "You idiot, you didn't even come close to hitting me. You _did_ get her, though." She pointed behind Ryoga, where Cowardice was getting to her feet, still slightly stunned.

Ryoga got up, turned around, spotted Cowardice, and fell to his knees in anguish again. "_Noooooo!_ Not another demoness! I won't let you read my thoughts – I _can't _let you read them, not with Akane here! I'll destroy you before you have the chance!"

A determined look in his eyes, Ryoga got to his feet. "Shishi Hokodan – Gravity Aura variant, uh, Revised. Very much so Revised." The gravity suddenly became much stronger, and Akane fell to her knees from the weight. Kodachi started whimpering from the pain it caused her arm, and Cowardice grunted and braced her legs. Ryoga, however, seemed unaffected. Next, Ryoga held out one hand, finger extended, and grasped that hand's wrist with his other hand. Concentrating, he focused so much ki into that one finger that it began to visibly glow – a rare phenomena with ki that was still inside the body.

Then he stabbed the finger into the ground and closed his eyes. The look on his face became calm and collected, like he was meditating, and Cowardice stared at him warily. When nothing else happened, though, she raised her arm to throw a spear-

"Bakusai Tenketsu – Critical Manipulation variant!" Royga suddenly shouted, and the ground underneath the demoness exploded. She went flying upwards, and then came down extra fast, thanks to the increased gravity. The instant she touched the ground Ryoga exhaled, and again the ground exploded, sending her into the air. This time, though, the angle of the explosion seemed deliberate; Cowardice was sent flying into a cloud of dirt.

Once inside the dirt Ryoga tightened his eyes, and rocks began to shoot out of the air towards her. Some missed her, but it seemed purposeful; the ones that did hit her always sent her into the path of another rock. Soon it was evident that the rocks had not missed at all – they came back down, right on target and accelerated by the gravity. Cowardice only looked stunned by the initial assault, but the repeated rocks were taking their toll, and her armor began to crack and shatter with every blow. Its protection began to lessen, and Cowardice was now crying out in pain from every blow.

Ryoga suddenly straightened up and dodged to the side, and a boulder crashed into where he had been. Akane looked more closely, and realized that it wasn't a boulder at all, but a chunk of a building. She looked to where it came from, and was shocked to see a giant demon lifting another boulder to throw. "Ryoga!" she called out.

"I know!" he shouted, seeming a bit more lucid than before. The gravity suddenly reverted to normal, and Cowardice crashed to the ground, where she lay groaning. "Akane, finish that demoness off – and whatever you do, don't listen to anything she says! She might say she can read minds, but it's a bluff!"

Akane raised an eyebrow. "Right..." She wanted to say more, but the giant had tossed his projectile and Ryoga was forced to dodge again. She looked at the giant, and saw _another_ one coming out of the portal that Mes'xivius had set up, which had expanded in size. "I understand, just go deal with those demons before more come out!"

"More?" Ryoga seemed stunned by the word, and his previously unstable mindset returned. "_MORE!? _More demoness', reading my thoughts and telling my secrets and twisting my mind and- No! _Must Kill!_" Foaming at the mouth slightly, Ryoga dashed forward to deal with the giants.

Akane turned her attention back to Cowardice, who was getting back on her feet. Gulping, she advanced towards the demon, who was looking unsteady. Her clones following, she tightened her grip on her hammer and began thinking of new strategies.

* * *

Ukyo was truly desperate now. One of her arms was pretty much already dead; the best she could do with it was open her belt pouches, spill them onto the ground, and watch as her little gingerbread soldiers ('Assassins, really," Konatsu had commented) marched to their deaths. Confidence made short work of them, and while the rolls were still valiantly rolling, they didn't make much of an impact even if they did make it.

The demon was toying with her, and she knew it. His wounds healed extraordinarily fast, even the nasty ones her hand-cannon gave him, and both of them knew that she couldn't deal any lasting damage with the thing. Even if she could, she could probably fire it once or twice more, and then both of her arms would be useless – and it would be over. Once Confidence got bored, he'd finish her off and go to support Cowardice.

Speaking of that, she'd heard and seen Kodachi get her arm blown off, but try as she might there was nothing she could do. Even if she did make it, none of her potions would help. Restore energy, yes; she had _one_ that could heal wounds, but regenerate an arm? No way. It wouldn't even stop the bleeding – she'd tested it on herself, and what it didn't heal completely, returned to normal within seconds. Unless Cologne got there and performed a miracle – which, as far as Ukyo knew, was within Cologne's power – Kodachi was screwed. It was sad, and terrifying and shocking, but Ukyo was going to die too unless she herself got help.

Confidence danced forward again, this time using some variant of boxing that involved what looked like a lot of pelvis thrusting, and Ukyo retreated backwards, unwilling to fire her gun for what could possibly be the last time when she knew that the demon was expecting it and was prepared to dodge it. He'd easily dodged it the few times she hadn't caught him off guard – and when he did let his guard down, he did it on purpose, she was sure.

As Confidence punched again and again, Ukyo realized there was an element of Drunken Boxing in there somewhere – the source of the pelvis motion. It was giving him extra momentum, and making it hard to predict his moves. Ukyo dodged a couple times, but then out of nowhere his leg came lashing out, and she knew that she'd get hit – hit for real, this time.

As it impacted, Ukyo guarded herself with her good hand, and was surprised when her arm absorbed all of the impact safely. _Did he hold back?_ Ukyo stared cautiously, and then blinked when she saw Confidence dancing backwards on one foot, a red hot piece of steel impaled into one leg.

Turning around, she saw Shampoo and Mousse coming out of the hill. Mousse's sleeve was outstretched, and a trail of smoke lead from it to where Confidence had been hit; apparently the deadly projectile that had canceled Confidence's momentum was his work. Both seemed exhausted, though, and Ukyo's heart fell; Ukyo knew from experience that a single attack wouldn't keep Confidence down for long.

"Ni hao, spatula girl," Shampoo said, her accent gone but the mocking tone the same. "Need any help?"

Ukyo was terribly relieved, but knew that they weren't out of trouble. "How are you speaking normal Japanese? My potion should have worn off long ago."

"I have no idea, but more importantly, do have any more energy potions? We're both totally out of ki."

Ukyo nodded, but grimly. "Only one. And even if I gave it you, it wouldn't help for long against this guy."

Shampoo grinned, her confidence infectious. "Don't worry about it! Give it to Mousse."

Ukyo shrugged and handed it over. Mousse stared at the small vial suspiciously, and then chugged it down. Immediately his skin returned to a normal hue, and he no longer needed Shampoo's help to stand – although she still needed his. Gently sitting her down on the ground, he motioned for Ukyo to sit down too. "I don't want to use this for anyone but Shampoo, but I will make an exception this time."

Ukyo stared at him like he was crazy, which he obviously was. "Uh, hello? Crazy masochistic demon over there. Don't think you can take him on your own."

Mousse smirked. "I can, but that's besides the point. Please, sit down and let me show you the effects of my God Seed."

Reluctantly complying, Ukyo sat down next to Shampoo, and as Mousse outstretched his hands a small glowing sphere grew over them. Ukyo gasped as she felt her strength returning to her. "Does this thing heal wounds?"

Shampoo nodded, smiling. "Yep. Don't worry, we'll be fine now."

"That's not my worry! Kodachi's had her arm blown off; she needs this way more than we do!"

Shampoo frowned and looked off to the side. "Kodachi? I don't really see the point, but I suppose Mousse can go and stabilize her. Mousse!" she called out. "Kodachi is apparently terribly wounded; leave this to us and go heal her!"

Mousse nodded slightly, but when he attempted to dash off, Confidence got in his way. "Oh, I don't think so," he said, the first words Ukyo had heard him speak. "You're _interesting._ You're staying here and fighting _me!_"

Mousse fired more rods out of sleeve, but just as Ukyo had predicted Confidence was able to dodge them this time. Mousse backed up, next to the sphere. "I'm sorry, Shampoo, but I don't think I'll be able to escape."

Ukyo cursed. "Well, all that we have left is Cologne to rely on."

"It's my policy to make young ones rely on themselves."

Both Ukyo and Shampoo turned around to see Cologne – battered and burned, and leaning on her staff a little, but fine. "Cologne!" Ukyo called out, desperately relieved. "Kodachi's had her arm blown off – you've got to go help her!"

Cologne opened her eyes in shock. "Her arm!? That is a serious injury indeed. I see she is over there, next to Akane fighting that..." She trailed off as she stared.

"Yes, that demon! She's the one that did the damage to Kodachi!"

"I see..." Cologne said gravely."

Ukyo stared, worried. "Is, is something wrong?"

"Something wrong? Yes, I'm afraid there is. That demon is one of cowardice, yes?" When Ukyo nodded, Cologne shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid that wounds made by Cowardice demons do not heal unless powerful exorcism ceremonies are performed – ceremonies which I am incapable of performing, even back at my home. Normally they are quite weak, but I recognize that demon – she is the most powerful of cowardice demons, and claims the name Cowardice as head of her tribe of demons. I know of few people who could heal such a deep wound caused by her, and none who would do it willingly."

"No..." Ukyo said, her heart falling. "Is there nothing we can do?"

"Cologne shook her head. "Nothing, I'm afraid. She will die here. In truth, I am very, very surprised that no one else has."

Shampoo looked at the two, a little confused. "I understand Spatula girl's response, but why are _you_ so sad, Honoured Grandmother? Amazons must be strong and weather all difficulties; that woman is not even a friend of the tribe! Why do you care so much?"

Ukyo looked a little disgusted by Shampoo's words, but Cologne just smiled sadly. "You will understand more of the code in time, girl. Just hope you live that long. Now," she continued, iron returning to her voice, "I cannot afford to stay here and help you. It appears reinforcements are coming, and I must at least stem the tide. I give you one piece of advice – break a confidence demon's confidence, in whatever he holds it, and you will have defeated him. This one is a leader of his kind as well, so it will not be easy, but it will be far easier than just destroying him. If you cannot dislodge his confidence, than deal a decisive blow that will kill him in one strike."

Giving the two a nod, she leaped off towards the demon portal, which was beginning to expand as a giant demon began to force his way through it. Ukyo and Shampoo turned their attention back to Mousse, who was beginning to have trouble with Confidence.

Ukyo tried to get up, but Shampoo forced her back down. "A few more minutes and you'll be fully healed." Ukyo blinked, and then realized that she was almost in tip-top shape. "All Mousse has to do is hold out till then, and then we can all take him out together."

Ukyo grimaced, still shaken by Kodachi's definite doom. "Then I hope he can hold out. Confidence is almost on top of him."

Shampoo smiled once again, but her confidence was a little shaky. "Don't worry! He's tougher than he looks!"

Ukyo said nothing, only turned to watch the conflict. Shampoo did as well, and both hid their secret doubts. Someone they knew was going to die – even if they were in top shape, maybe they would be next? What about Akane? Or Ryoga?

Or, god forbid it, Ranma?

* * *

And that was chapter 10. After this we have one more chapter in this 'arc', and then we move on to the larger portion of the story.

I'm pleased with this story so far, but there are quite a few errors that seem to have made their way in during the uploading process. After this arc finishes, I'll go through the chapters again and make sure they're properly formatted. Nothing you need to go back for, but it should make the story better.


	11. For a Kuno, religion is complicated

Hello! Here's chapter 11! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Kodachi stared at Akane and the demon as they fought, the demon clearly winning despite the injuries Ryoga had given her. She knew there was something wrong with her when she felt absolutely no fear at that revelation. She felt fine, though. She wasn't feeling very _limb_er, but hey, that was pretty minor. Amused by her pun, she giggled to herself.

Yeah, she was screwed up. A small part of her was still sane, and this part was crying and screaming, begging her to try and do something to live a little longer, but Kodachi was unable to think straight. Only thoughts of nobility, her family, Ranma, and the fog of pain were clear.

_I am Kuno, and thus superior. That is a fact. Commoners survive losing their arms, I've seen war veterans before. Thus, I will doubtlessly survive easily; there is no point worrying about that. No, I'll be fine. And if not, Ranma will come and save me, because he is a hero and that is what he does. Or she. This is confusing; I must clear this matter up with him, or her. Yes. 'Ranma, we must clear up the issue of pronouns, because pronouns are a decidedly important matter.' Yes, pronouns..._

_I am not a Kuno. I am still superior, though. I am superior to my father and my brother, and all other Kunos – but not my mother, because my mother is the best person in the world. Yes, she is the best and couldn't possibly have died and left me behind – I know, I _know_ that she's still out there, secretly fighting against the evil people who hid her from me, behind the scenes so as not to worry me, and I will go and fight them as well when I come of age and find a husband who can fight with me-_

_No, that is not true, I am delirious and cannot think properly. Or am I? If I was delirious, than my conclusion that I am delirious could, in fact, be incorrect. But wait, that is circular logic. No, wait, it isn't circular at all, it's just flat wrong. Ohhhh, I am thoroughly, completely delirious._

She laughed out loud at how muddled her mind felt, which turned into a muffled scream when the movement caused spears of pain to shoot through the stump of her arm. _Strange, I can feel the pain in the arm that is no longer there. I have heard of this phenomenon, but never expected to experience it myself. Of course I didn't; who in their right mind wold expect their arm to get blasted off, by a demon's spear no less? How barbaric! My death will be at the hands of barbarians – who can say that, in this day and age!_

She suddenly began to cry. _No, I don't want to die! I want to live and continue forward with Ranma and find Nobility! I want to be noble, more than anything! More than I want Ranma, I think! I want to live! Please, God, let me live! I don't know what I did wrong in life but I'll fix it, I swear! I swear, if you let me live I'll do anything, just give me a sign!_

Crying, choking back the sobs that racked her body and caused so much pain to her arm, Kodachi felt her hand grasping at the rubble at her side, clenching tightly and then releasing it, without her conscious control. The dirt and powdered concrete ground against her palms, the tactile sensation somehow floating above the pain and clearing a part of her fragmented mind. scrunch, scrunch, the dirt went as it ground up not just against her hand, but against the larger chunks of concrete. It seemed soothing, somehow. Concrete – no pun intended. _I have no time for puns now_.

_Why? Why must it end this way? _Her mind a little clearer, she found herself capable of facing the idea of her own death. _I don't want to die right now, but if I do, I should at least understand why I'm dead. Is it because I attempted to help Akane? But that was a noble act, and I couldn't possibly have been punished for doing something noble – could I?_

_Why do I try to be noble? Because I am a Kuno. But I am no longer a Kuno, so what is left? Because... it is the right thing? Why? Why am I asking myself this now? How could I have been so stupid so as not to question my reasons before? Am I just like my brother and father, blindly clinging to my ideals?_

_Ahh, my pulse is starting to slow. I am truly dying, even if I fight against it. I am going to die. So, what will my last thoughts be on?_

_Ranma. I want him, so bad it hurts, even now when death is coming for me and my body is going cold. What is it about him that attracts me so... completely? How can he seem more important than my own life? That's ridiculous. To be noble one must survive, this I know. Nobility in death is __meaningless. Once you die that is the end, and if one truly wants to be noble one must survive to be noble in the future. That is the Kuno way._

_But... I am no longer a Kuno. I have heard of other Kunos leaving the clan, but never what happens to them. Is this punishment for defying my father? For trying to be more than a Kuno, for reaching beyond my station? But... I thought... that Kunos were the highest there were..._

The pain peaked suddenly, and Kodachi started thrashing even as her vision began to turn black. The pain only increased, and with a strangled roar of rage Kodachi managed to regain control of her body and still herself.

_Screw this! I refuse to die! _Panting, on the edge of unconscious as her vision continued to blacken and become a tunnel, Kodachi lifted her good arm to her mouth and bit down on a finger so hard she hit bone. The pain was nothing compared to her missing arm's, but where that numbed her thoughts this sharpened them, and the blackness in her eyes lifted a little. _I will not die! Never, ever! Not now, and not in the future that I am heading towards! _Her mind was clouded in the anger that had now infused it, just as clouded as it had been with the pain, but now she was moving forward, and that momentum allowed her to think. _Do you punish me, God? Is this punishment for parting with the Kuno family name? Is it punishment for following their rules for so long? I don't care which it is. Screw you! I'm going to live, no matter what!_

Speaking so foully, even if it was in her own mind, brought her a little bit of pleasure, as she had always denied herself such dirty, common habits. Staring at the ground, she focused all her being into one spot, desperately trying to gather all her strength so that she could try to survive.

Her vision was blurry, but as she focused so intently something caught her attention. Down in the dirt was a fragment of one of Cowardice's spears, a tip nearly an inch in length and twice as thick as her thumb. It sat there, partly buried, and Kodachi turned all her attention on it in her efforts to focus. She stared, examining the strange nicks and burns that marred it surface, the almost organic way the metal seemed to twist around on itself. There were what looked like veins along its surface, although it appeared to be only solid metal on the inside.

She stared, and stared, and an idea sparked in her head, both foreign and familiar.

_Eat it._

Focusing so intently on gathering all her energy together in the center of her being, on trying to gather enough of herself to survive, Kodachi obeyed without thinking. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, she moved her good arm, all the energy that had previously motivated it gone. It inched towards the chunk of metal, and then squeezed it; lightly at first, but then tightly as her grip grew surer. Lifting it to her mouth, arm shaking from the effort, she just barely managed to slip it her mouth before her arm dropped down, dead.

_Swallow._

Again Kodachi obeyed, and the strange demonic metal burned her throat as it went down. It wasn't from heat, or acid, but simply the demonic presence, the pure _alien _nature of the substance that caused the damage. When it reached her stomach it sat there for a moment, burning her and causing waves of nausea, before the energy she had been collecting _swooped_ down and devoured it whole.

Her mouth began to hurt, a sharp pain in her gums, and new tears came to her eyes as her teeth fell out. She spit them out, one by one, and then moaned and cried some more when new teeth began to come in. These ones seemed to burn her gums as they came in, but that quickly disappeared, replaced by a little burst of energy.

_More, _the voice said, and Kodachi obeyed happily, almost desperately, recognizing that her salvation could be at hand. Looking around, she could see that some of Cowardice's spears lay discarded nearby. Why she hadn't reclaimed them Kodachi did not know, but they were there, so she crawled towards them on hands and knees, pulling herself along with her good arm when the energy in her legs failed her.

When she reached the spear closest, she collapsed to the ground. Picking it up, Kodachi shakily put the tip of it in her mouth and bit down. Where the spears had seemed indestructible before, when Akane had been fighting them, her new teeth were able to grind through them with some effort. She managed to get the first chunk down, and her core of energy swooped down and ate it. Again she felt a rush of energy, and the burning sensation returned to her mouth. They fell out once again, but this time she swallowed them on instinct, and after the energy had devoured them they returned to her mouth, sharper and heavier.

Now she was able to bite chunks of metal off the spear, and her arm began to stop bleeding. In fact, it began to regrow; she could feel it getting heavier and heavier. It was using the demonic metal as material; the burning sensation returned, and only got stronger as she continued to eat. She could feel tendrils of the substance burrowing into her shoulder and anchoring her new arm.

Soon the spear was gone, and she searched out another one, now able to stand. That quickly disappeared as well; only after she had halfway finished the third was her arm fully regenerated. She lifted it in front of her face and flexed it; it was shaped just like her old one, and indeed looked just like it; the skin looked completely normal. But her nails were clearly made of the substance, and she could feel its weight as she lifted it. When she looked closely, she could see thick veins underneath the surface where there had been none before.

Finishing off the third spear and beginning to munch on the fourth, and last, discarded spear near her location, Kodachi turned to see what Akane and Cowardice were doing. Cowardice, panting from her long exertion, was nonetheless winning; Akane was down to one other clone, and by the defensive way she was fighting it was her last. Determinedly striding forward, Kodachi grinned sadistically. "Akane, you may stand down. I will finish off this pathetic creature."

Akane whirled around, and then leaped backwards as Cowardice attempted to tack advantage of her distraction. "Kodachi! You're alright!" Then she blinked as she looked at Kodachi's regrown arm. "How, how did you you grow it back!?"

_I have no idea._ "Like I have any reason to tell you!" Kodachi found her stereotypical arrogance refreshing to the extreme after her moody thoughts from before, and she couldn't help but grin a little wider. "I said step down! It is time for me to exact my revenge."

Akane briefly looked worried, but then scowled. "Damn it, here I thought you recovered and you're still delusional! I don't know how you regrew that arm, but if you don't want to lose it again you'll-"

Kodachi hadn't stopped walking forward, and when she reached Akane she used her new arm to grab Akane by the shoulder and toss her backwards. With a surprised squawk Akane went flying backwards, sliding to a stop after nearly twenty feet. The clone stepped towards Kodachi, a furious expression on her face, but Kodachi back-handed her across the mouth, snapping the girl's neck and causing her to disperse. "You won't be needing those anymore. Take a nap, won't you?"

Cowardice had paused at the infighting, but when Kodachi began to advance on her again she scowled, a mixture of anger, arrogance, and fear on her face. "I don't know what you did, I don't know how you regrew a wound that I made, I don't know why that new arm of yours emanates a demonic aura, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to kill you. _Now_."

Kodachi's eyes sparkled with a madness born from her brush with death, and she gripped her new arm so tightly that the skin ripped, exposing the metal beneath; apparently it was only for show. She swallowed the last of the spear she was holding in her hands, causing Cowardice's eyes to widen in surprise. "Nothing can stop me now. Not you, not Akane, not even God. I'm going to get my revenge, and I'm going to _enjoy_ it."

Cowardice threw a spear, but Kodachi's new arm lashed out and caught it in mid air. Smirking, she began to eat it, too, and Cowardice growled in frustration. Tensing her body, Cowardice shot out several more spears, which turned in mid air and all focused on Kodachi.

The first one Kodachi knocked aside, but she couldn't turn in time to knock away the rest. Fear returning, she instinctively thrust at it with her mind, and a spear erupted out of her body and knocked it away. The rest of Cowardice's salvo was similarly defeated, and after the threat was gone the spears retreated into her body.

Cowardice was throughly spooked, now. She took a step back, fear in her eyes. "What _are_ you!? How can the wounds _I_ dealt you have healed? How can the metal from _my_ body be coming out of yours? This is _madness!"_

Kodachi threw back her head and laughed. "I suppose it is! I am, or was, a Kuno, and I think we're all insane in one way or another. But I'll tell you another thing I am. I am _superior_. I am a superior being, a human above other humans, and that is why you are going to lose. That is why you are going to _die_."

Shaking from exhaustion, pain and fear, Cowardice knew the fight was over. Turning, she dashed towards the portal, her spears shooting out of her body and heading for Kodachi once more as a distraction.

"I think not!" Even as spears came out of her own body to reflect Cowardice's attack, Kodachi threw the spear she had caught with all her strength, uneaten end first. Cowardice turned back and tried to dodge the attack, but had no time; the spear entered her side, and she went down with a cry.

Kodachi walked forward, her manic grin still on her face and a new spear growing out of her demonic hand. Scrabbling at the ground with her hands for purchase, Cowardice was only able to turn on her back and face her attacker. "Mercy! Please, don't kill me!"

Kodachi blinked, truly surprised. "Mercy?" She lifted her new arm in front of her face and stared at it, a confused expression on her face. "I suppose you have the right to ask for that. It seems I am part demon, now."

Cowardice nodded, hope on her face. "Yes, that's right! You let me go, and I owe you a favor – the way kinsman owes kinsman, a favor that cannot be forgotten or brushed off!"

Kodachi ceased studying her arm, and turned her eyes towards Cowardice. The demon looked into them, and with a shiver noticed that, below the insanity and anger, there was an empty coldness that never wavered. "I think you have mistaken me for some sort of hero," Kodachi said, her tone empty of any extra emphasis, like she was giving a stranger directions to the closest bus stop. "I am not a hero. I am not a noble. I am not even a nice person. Maybe that will change in the future." Kodachi smiled a little, a touch of warmth returning to her face. "I think I would like that. But now, I am not any of those things. I am a girl who has been hurt, a girl who has conquered her death and fears nothing. And I have no mercy in me, not for you."

She thrust down her spear.

And Cowardice died.

Ukyo was on her hand and knees, ready to spring forward when Mousse's shield came down. Shampoo was in a similar position, holding a pair of scimitars that Mousse had tossed her. Both girls were tense, both deathly afraid of becoming the next victim; never before had death seemed so real, so possible.

Mousse had been reduced to running backwards while firing projectiles out at Confidence. Ukyo was truly and deeply surprised at the sheer _quantity_ of things Mousse had on his person; there were _mountains_ of metal all over the place, several larger than Ukyo herself. Shuriken, buckshot, steel rods, and a dozen more kinds of weapons that weren't meant to be fired at high speeds towards their targets; while most of them had missed the target, as Confidence was using all of his skill to dodge (and he was _still _on the offensive! Damn!), many of them had hit. Confidence just pulled them out, grinned, and let them heal, but he was so busy trying to squash Mousse that he didn't have enough hands to pull out them all. The result was that Confidence was gradually becoming a large, unwieldy pincushion.

Confidence had responded by using the sharp metal that was sprouting from all over his flesh as part of his arsenal; _somehow_, he pulled out a martial art style that seemed to specialize in just that. Ukyo was getting tired (and very depressed) at the number of styles this demon seemed to have at his disposal.

Mousse suddenly waved a hand backwards towards the duo, and the shield went down; instantly Ukyo and Shampoo went to Mousse's aid. He'd been taking minor hits for a good two minutes as Confidence's strange new style became more and more effective, and his own weapons' sharpness was being used against him. As the two girls stepped in front of him, Mousse smiled wearily and hastily reloaded his sleeves, pullings things out of a normal eight-fold pocket and shoving them back into the special, nine-fold ones.

Ukyo raised her arm cannon and aimed it at Confidence, who grinned and seemed to actually _show off_ the pieces of metal stuck all over his body, as if to say 'now it's easier than ever to deflect your projectiles!' Shampoo got into a fighting stance, body low to the ground, and both fighters slowly advanced on the seemingly immortal demon.

Confidence suddenly sprang forward. Shampoo tried to meet his charge, but found out the hard way that, weapons or no, she was no match head on. Her attack quickly changed into a block, which proved insufficient as she was sent flying backwards. Ukyo fired off a shot, which was deflected but forced the demon off balance, making him briefly retreat. Mousse let fly more steel rods, which Confidence focused on deflecting; by the time Confidence had regained his balance and started on the initiative, Shampoo had gotten back to her feet.

Instead of rejoining the fight, however, she braced herself and gripped her scimitar tightly. "Ukyo, Mousse, hold him off for a little longer. I have an idea."

"An idea? An _idea!?_" Ukyo glared at the Chinese girl. "What exactly is this _idea_ that requires me to risk my life!?"

"Look," Shampoo said, exasperated and insulted, "Somehow I developed a God Seed back there. I'm not quite sure how it works, but I think I can activate it by convincing my body that there is only one way its going to survive. So give me some time to try and convince it!"

Mousse bowed, a short and quick one. "As you wish, Shampoo. I will hold him off with my life."

Ukyo rolled her eyes. "Right, princess. This better work, or I'll haunt you with everything I got."

"If this doesn't work, I'm going to die too."

"I know! Isn't it great! We'll be stuck together for our entire un-lives!" Ukyo gave her a thumbs-up. "Best Friends Forever!"

Shampoo grimaced, and then closed her eyes. _Alright, God Seed, I know you're there. I know that you changed my lungs and my blood when I needed them to be changed before; you can do it again, only this time you're going to do what I want._ Slowly, she felt her body's instincts stirring, changing to her will, but with only the barest, most sluggish of movements. She clenched her body and focused, trying even harder.

Ukyo and Mousse were trying their best to keep Confidence under a hail of metal (and dough) strong enough that he couldn't do anything. It wasn't working very well. Even as he used the weapons embedded in himself to reflect Mousse's assault, he would dodge Ukyo's considerably more hefty but slower rolls and take several steps forward. He was making his way forward – and not to them, but towards Shampoo. Apparently he was determined to crush their hope, however small it might be.

Mousse cursed, and dashed forward; Ukyo followed suit. As Mousse kept up the hail, Ukyo switched her hands and put her cannon on her other arm; her initial one was starting to go numb. When they got to close range, Confidence tried to get Mousse into a lethal bear hug, which he just barely dodged. Now right next to the demon, he raised his sleeves, pointed them into Confidence's face, and released what must have been about five pounds of buckshot.

The large amount meant that he wasn't able to totally control them, and some of them raked his own hands, making him scream. The effect on Confidence was much more severe, though; _his _scream was cut short into a strangled gurgle as the buckshot tore into his throat. After it had passed, all the muscle and skin on his face was gone, leaving only bone and blood. Quickly it began to regrow, and his confident (now bony, and far more intimidating) grin was there despite the massive pain he must have been in, but Ukyo stepped forward and fired her cannon right into his face.

Eyes gone, he obviously wasn't able to see; if he had, he wouldn't have opened his mouth to laugh right at that moment. Then again, even as his jaw was ripped off and the remains of his throat destroyed, even as he stumbled backwards in pain, he continued regenerating. Ukyo wasn't sure if this guy took _any_ injury seriously – even critical damage to his face, the only weak point he seemed to have, didn't faze him.

As his face grew back, however, he didn't seem to be going anywhere; they'd at least bought a little time, even if the attack wouldn't work again. "This guy's freaking immortal!" she said to Mousse, irritated and more than a little shaken. "Any ideas?"

Mousse frowned, and adjusted his glasses. "Not really. The basic advice of the Amazons has been hammered into me, however, and it has this to say on superior enemies: 'Turn their strengths into their weaknesses, and your weaknesses into your strengths.'"

Ukyo rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's wonderful, Confucius. Fucking wonderful. His strength is to regenerate all damage more quickly than we can deal it! Did you see how his flesh simply grew _over_ the buckshot pellets you threw at him? It's like you're giving him sub dermal armor!"

She opened her mouth to say more, but then let it hang. She paused, eyes wide. "Wait a sec. I think... I think I might have an idea."

While it wasn't working very fast, Shampoo's body was slowly but surely warming to her thoughts. She wasn't exactly sure what kind of advantage she needed her body to suddenly develop, but _anything _was better than nothing.

This time she could feel her bones burning, changing. Her subconscious seemed to be the source of the particulars; she had hints of what was happening in her mind. _Something about... metal... _The burning sensation continued for a minute longer, and when it was done Shampoo nearly fell to the ground, ki nearly gone and body exhausted. _Well, it's over with. Now I just have to figure out what happened._

Looking over at her companions, she noticed that Confidence had taken serious (as in, make-you-want-to-throw-up serious) damage to his face, and seemed incapable of taking any action, but was quickly recovering from it. Ukyo was moving her hands around avidly and explaining something to Mousse excitedly. They didn't seem to have noticed that she was finished; she called out to them. "Hey, got an idea, spatula girl?"

Ukyo turned around and smiled. "Yeah. Unfortunately, we need to get rid of all the metal stuck in him."

"I can do that," Shampoo said without thinking, and then blinked. "I think."

Ukyo looked at her quizzically, but shrugged. "Well, okay then. Do it."

Sighing, Shampoo once again focused. This time, though, her focus was more external than internal. She crossed her arms in front of her and placed her forearms right on top of each other, leaving her scimitars extending at right angles form her elbows. Shifting her stance, she move her legs so that both sides of her body were positioned symmetrically. She began to hum, and the hairs on her arms and legs briefly stood on end, and then relaxed.

Suddenly a wave of invisible energy left her body. She wasn't sure if the others could feel it; she was sure, though, that they could see the effect. Every bit of metal suddenly shifted, blown by the mysterious energy as if by a strong wind. _Magnetism_, Shampoo thought to herself, and she focused. Instead of a wave pushing outwards, she _pulled, _and the piles of weapons began to be drawn towards her. When the first ones reached her some of them cut her skin and she began to bleed freely, but she ignored the wounds and soon the weapons only met more metal. As they remained close to her the metal itself became polarized, and the magnetic force became stronger. The weapons were pulled out of Confidence's body, even the buckshot embedded below the surface. The wounds immediately healed, however, and Confidence grinned as he advanced once again. Mousse attempted to fire his weapons, but they headed straight for Shampoo.

Pushing magnetism from her face, she created a corridor through which she could see, the weapons clanking as the repositioned themselves. Unable to move her body, she shouted out. "Ukyo, Mousse, get him close to me and then take cover behind something!"

Ukyo fired off a shot to slow Confidence down and immediately began sprinting towards Shampoo's metal-encased body. "What are you planning to do?"

"I'm not sure, but it's going to hurt him, I think!"

Ukyo sighed. "That's exactly what I need, but damn it, we need better plans!"

"Shut up and move!"

Mousse was following behind Ukyo, but looked unhappy about using Shampoo as bait. "Will you be alright, Shampoo?"

_Maybe. _"Are you doubting me, idiot!?"

Mousse bowed his head as he ran, nearly taking a hit from Confidence, who was hot on his tail. "Of course not! Forgive me for my insolence!"

Shampoo grunted doubtfully, but there was no more time for words. Ukyo sprinted past her, out of Shampoo's field of vision, and she could hear the sound of the chef hitting the ground in a dive. Mousse followed, but Shampoo had no more time to worry if he made it to safety; Confidence was thrusting a hand down the corridor she'd made in her 'armor'.

So she closed her eyes, tensed up, and reversed her magnetism with all the strength she had.

Ukyo was behind a thick wall when Shampoo 'went off.' All that metal suddenly went shooting outwards at high speed; the gradual polarization as the metal had built up seemed to have magnified Shampoo's magnetism, and even the 6-foot-thick concrete she was hiding behind was nearly destroyed by the hail of metal. Mousse, who hadn't gotten all the way behind cover, was hit by several pieces and cried out in pain; his legs were sliced up, and Ukyo doubted he'd be standing any time soon.

When the storm of metal stopped, Shampoo was left standing in front of a severely damaged Confidence, more sliced up muscle and blood than bare skin. Even as they watched, his wounds began to heal; it'd be less than a minute before Confidence was restored to normal.

Ukyo wasn't going to let that happen, though. Dashing forward, avoiding the miniature forest of metal that had sprung up, she got close to Confidence and opened her pouches. Quickly she began grabbing gingerbread men and slamming them into the demon's exposed wounds; her hands quickly became slick with blood, blood which burned and smoked, but she continued even as the wounds closed over the gingerbread men.

When Confidence was fully healed, he stood up straight, slapped away Shampoo (who was stunned from lack of ki), and gave Ukyo another one of his manic grins.

Ukyo returned it, and snapped her fingers.

The sound of tiny buzzing motors could be heard coming from Confidence's body, and he grimaced, smile dropping, as the gingerbread men began to cut their way into his body. He immediately began ripping them out, grasping them through the flesh, but Ukyo had inserted dozens of the little abominations; while he managed to tear out half of them, creating gaping wounds all over his body, the rest disappeared from the surface.

Confidence grasped his body and shuddered violently before falling to his knees. He was unable to avoid crying out as his insides were torn apart by miniature chainsaws, even as they healed simultaneously. Whether it was from pain, pleasure, or a mixture of the two Ukyo did not know.

What she did know, however, was that, however tireless and indefatigable this demon seemed, her creations had equal reserves of unending vitality.

This fight was over.

Sighing, Ukyo grabbed Shampoo and Mousse and headed over to where Ryoga and Cologne were fighting off the demons coming from the portal, dragging the two debilitated Amazon fighters behind her. Even if the fight was over, the battle was not.

* * *

_Man, this day sucks._

Ranma had quickly learned that, despite how fierce the heat coming from it seemed to be, her flames couldn't match Mes'xivius' infernal ones. His dark flames seemed to just eat up Ranma's and continue forward, forcing Ranma to dodge. If she tried particularly hard her flames would _just_ stop Mes'xivius', but in order to create the flames in the first place Ranma first had to change her ki into deific energy, then turn that deific energy into magic, _then_ turn the magic into deific energy again (only this time make it of the type that Saffron had used), and _then_ transform that deific energy into flame. She wasn't very efficient at it – honestly, she wasn't sure if it was _possible_ to be efficient with so many twists and turns – so it used up a lot of her energy every time she made a flame. Saffron's regeneration seemed to help (she'd have to remember that), but it took too long to focus all the energy for the super-intense flames, and Mes'xivius wasn't really giving her the openings she needed.

_So I'm going to have to get creative, like always. _She was confident that she'd be able to come up with something – had something already in mind, in fact – but Mes'xivius still seemed to be holding stuff back. _Well, no going back now._ Ranma fired off more flames and got some distance.

Instantly Mes'xivius moved to close the distance, recognizing Ranma's maneuver for what it was – a way to get some distance to fire off a more powerful attack. Ranma was getting _really_ tired of how on-the-ball the demon was; _every time_ Ranma tried to do _anything_, Mes'xivius instantly moved to defend against it. _It's like he can read my thoughts!_

Ranma stopped short. _Can he read my thoughts?_ Frowning, Ranma pulled her hands back and formed fire in them. _I'm going to throw fire all around you to hit you when you try to dodge!_ Suddenly shooting her arms forward, Ranma fired off flames – but instead of aiming like she had thought, she shot them straight at Mes'xivius. Mes'xivius, however, didn't even hesitate in his dodge to the side.

_Well, that didn't work. Either he could see through my bluff – which, considering how he fell to them before, doesn't make sense – or he just reacts so fast that it's pretty much like he can read my mind. I'm going to have to think of something else..._

Ranma flapped her wings and dodged the dark flame that Mes'xivius tossed at him. _He's pretty accurate with that stuff. He's probably going to hit my wings eventually, what with my unfamiliarity with them. Gotta do something now, rather than later..._

Suddenly grinning, Ranma gathered more of her ki. _With the way I'm burning ki this might be a bad idea, but I bet it'll catch him off guard! It better; I don't have images of anyone else's Seeds in me yet..._

Focusing, Ranma created magic with her ki, but she didn't make Saffron's deific energy this time. Instead, she created Akane's – and in a poof of smoke, a clone of Ranma appeared, sporting a pink badge. "Oooooo," she purred, looking around her, "looks like I get to have some _fun!"_ The clone locked her eyes on Mes'xivius. "Well, don't _you_ look big and delicious! Ever heard the saying, 'Make love, not war'?"

_What the hell!? Why is it so perverted!? _Ranma grimaced in disgust at the sight of her female self acting like a slut, but she couldn't afford to waste energy on replacing it. "Hey, clone!" Catching her attention, Ranma pointed at the big demon, who was quickly recovering from the surprise of a second Ranma. _So much for that idea_. "Look, let's work together to take that guy down, alright? It's for your... _our_ own good."

The clone stuck her tongue out. "No way! I want to have fun!"

Ranma sighed, exasperated. _I can't believe I'm saying this... _"I'll make sure you have more fun than you can handle if you help me take this guy down."

"That sounds good!" The clone rubbed her hands together. "He doesn't look like he would be very willing, anyway."

Both Ranmas flapped their wings and formed flames in their hands. They took off in opposite directions and began circling their opponent. "So," the clone said, "What's the plan?"

"Think Ryoga," Ranma answered back tersely, "but with the mentality of Taro and the personality of a twisted, full-powered Saffron."

"Think of Ryoga, you say? Mmmmmm... Now you've got me excited!"

"Stop that!" Ranma nearly forgot to flap her wings when the mental image of herself and Ryoga... doing whatever her clone wanted to do... hit her. "Iggy's still holding back; don't let your guard down, or you'll be destroyed before I have a chance to honor our promise." _Not that I'll be doing that. Ever._

There was no more time for more words, as Mes'xivius made his move. He spun horizontally in the air, the black flames in his hands leaving a trail that formed a burning ring, and then shouted, making the flame ring expand suddenly and sharply into a black halo that quickly grew two or three times thicker than Ranma was tall. Ranma dived underneath it while the clone chose to rise above it; both flew forward and released their flames as streaking fireballs aimed at Mes'xivius' chest and back.

Mes'xivius flapped his wings forcefully, though, and the tainted wind that came out of them extinguished Ranma's flames before they came even close to their mark. The demon then turned to the clone and put both of his hands together, forming a black spark between that instantly grew into a huge lance of obsidian lightning.

Grinning, the clone flapped her wings once and _barely_ dodged the strike. Instead of ripping a hole in her (and thus dispersing her, Ranma assumed), the lightning tore through her clothing, leaving only a few shreds that promptly fell off. The clone continued to flap her wings, her now naked assets bouncing up and down. "_Whoops._ What a terrible accident."

Ranma couldn't help but gape. "You did that on purpose. Why did you do that on purpose? _How _did you do that on purpose?"

"My, whatever are you talking about, partner dear? This was a complete coincidence."

Ranma winced, even as Mes'xivius was grinding his teeth in frustration at his surprise attacks being defeated so easily. "Don't call me _dear_. It makes my stomach churn."

"Alright. But I _will_ call you _partner_. 'Cause that's what we'll be, after we strip this imp of his trainer wings and teach him a bit about how martial artists really fight."

Putting a hand to her face and sighing, Ranma gathered the energy for the next attack. "Well, looks like at least some part of me is-"

"_Sex _partners. It's gonna be _awesome._"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure it will. Now, the plan is that-"

"_Raunchy, sweaty sex_. We'll be at it for _hours_, and sooner or later Akane's gonna blow a fuse and join in, and Kodachi will eventually jump in as well, and then Shampoo'll-"

"_Right._ Let's take care of this guy before you let your fantasies get any worse, okay?"

The clone winked at Ranma. "They're _your_ fantasies, too, you know!"

"U huh. I don't have time to argue with you, so we'll just leave that for later. Now, back up a fair distance. Me like Ryoga, you like Herb – got it?"

Nodding, the associations of those people's styles as firm in the clone's mind as they were in Ranma's, the clone backed up and got some distance. Ranma, on the other hand, created some more fire in her hands and flew up closer. This time she didn't fire it off all at once, but released it in small streams of fire. Mes'xivius ignored them as often as he dodged them, but they managed to keep him in place. At least, that's what Ranma was hoping for.

Mes'xivius released another black fireball, and laughed as Ranma frantically patted out the flames on her wing as the attack grazed her. "Did you send your little copy back to help your friends? It's not going to change anything – by now, your friends are already dead and devoured, and you're-"

His taunt was interrupted as a massive lance of fire pierced through the sky and nearly tore off one of Mes'xivius' wings. The flame was so bright that it left a solid afterimage in Ranma's vision; she watched it as it curved down towards the ground and finally disintegrated a house, leaving a twenty foot crater in its wake.

The clone waved from where she had fired the shot, already charging the next one, and Ranma got in between her and Mes'xivius before the demon could get rid of the nuisance. Mes'xivius wasn't looking happy, and Ranma smirked. "What's wrong, Iggy? A little too hot for you? I thought you had already _expected _this level of talent from me."

Mes'xivius scowled and smiled at the same time, the mixture of arrogance and annoyance showing an over-abundance of teeth. "Fool. This just means I have to get serious."

"Then show me what you got! I've been waiting for you to unleash the hellfire this whole time! Well, figuratively speaking. Technically I've seen enough hellfire to last a life time – but my point is the same! Show me what you got, Iggy-boy!"

"Another proof of how foolish humans really are." Mes'xivius shook his head mockingly as he closed his eyes briefly, and then waved his hand. A dark portal appeared in the air, just for a split second, and before Ranma could react Mes'xivius was through it and right next to the clone – who got a face-full of flame.

Mes'xivius laughed as the clone dropped out of the air, but the clone managed to right herself and began flapping her wings again. "You _bastard!_" she screamed out of a damaged face that was already healing thanks to Saffron's regenerative powers. "I'm the personification of Ranma's lust. Do you have _any _idea how frustrated I am? How long I've been stopped up and ignored? I'm _out, finally!_ Not even all of Ranma's rivals combined is going to put me down, and you insult me with a little bit of _faerie fire!?_ I'm going rip those wings off and shove them so far up your ass you'll find yourself flying with your every fart for the rest of your miserable life!"

Ranma blinked. "What do you mean, stopped up and ignored-"

The clone whipped around to Ranma, a wild look in her freshly regenerated eyes. "Don't even _start_ with me, you blue-balled _freak!"_

"Hey, now that was just uncalled for! Whatever that was supposed to mean..." Ranma trailed off, ashamed to admit to herself, quite literally, that she had no idea what 'blue-balls' were. No doubt it was sexual in nature, which was about as far as you could get from her area of expertise as was possible.

The clone threw up her hands. "Whatever. I know that you have no intentions of fulfilling your part of the bargain, but it doesn't matter. When this is over and done with, I'm going to rape you, and then seduce all your girlfriends – _and _boyfriends – into a giant orgy. It'll be so easy, too. I'm shocked to my core that you haven't done it yet, but I suppose that's part of my nature. Now, let's get this over with."

The clone flew over to Ranma, leaving about fifteen feet between them, and, after giving her one last lusty look-over, donned the Soul of Ice. Ranma did the same, having come to the same conclusions as how to fight this new development. Both closed their eyes and focused their ki senses, leaving Mes'xivius to look at them strangely.

He wasted no time in taking advantage of the opening, though. Forming a portal, he stepped through it in the second it was open. To his surprise he was met by both Ranmas, one calmly, almost coldly standing her ground while the other tried to fire off one of the lances of fire that had nearly clipped him before. Mes'xivius couldn't help but grin as he swiped at the Ranma that was closer, the real one (it was easy to tell since the clone didn't have clothes on); there was zero chance of the stupid mortal getting off such a big attack in time.

Therefore, he was completely surprised when the lance seemed to accelerate, and become _empowered_ by the aura of cold that the mortal he'd targeted was emitting. A blue, draconian shell formed around the the fire, making it twice as big and and fast. It nearly ripped his wing off, and he was forced to stop his attack to heal the wound.

The closer Ranma immediately began circling him, and Mes'xivius watched him wearily as the air began to grow colder and colder. Beyond the complicated pattern that Ranma was flying, Mes'xivius could see the clone gathering energy for another attack.

Ranma suddenly stopped and grinned. "Thanks for standing still, Iggy! I appreciate it!" The clone released the enhanced burst of flame once more, and Mes'xivius frowned as he moved to dodge. Admittedly, it was fast, but he still had plenty of time to get out f the way. "I don't know-"

He stopped as he saw the closer Ranma retreating away from him as fast as possible. Becoming enraged, Mes'xivius created another burst of lightning in his hands, this one slower to form but far more accurate and speedy once fired. "Coward!"

Ranma turned around and grinned. "Hiryu Shoten Ha – Heavenly Cage. I thought this one up on the spot!"

Mes'xivius turned to see the shot the clone had fired finally hit the blue-tinted cloud of air the real Ranma had made around him, a bit of worry in his eyes. It seemed to stretch the cloud, and then explode into a whirlwind of tremendous strength. Even as the demon tried to retreat, the rest of the cloud seemed to ignite as well, and he was suddenly surrounded by racing winds that were moving at speeds that seemed impossible – winds that suddenly contracted onto his trapped form.

There was a brief scream that cut off into an extended grunt, and Mes'xivius was falling down, his wings tattered and his body bruised and battered by the intense forces it had briefly been subjected to. Ranma sighed in relief when Mes'xivius showed no sign of regrowing his wings and both she and her clone drew closer, but it turned to worry when the demon landed on his feet.

"_Mortal!_" Mes'xivius cried out, blood from internal bruising flying out from between his gnashing teeth due to the pure volume of his cry, "I will _destroy_ you! See the might of the Conquerer, and _tremble!"_

The clone gagged. "Oh, geez. How cliché can you get?"

Too furious to register the comment, Mes'xivius raised a hand and pointed it at Ranma, and black fire, lightning, and pure energy swirled away from it, forming a twisting, spiraling trident of demonic fury. Even as Ranma dodged it by the skin of her teeth Mes'xivius was launching another from the other hand, and then another, and another... relentlessly he fired off lethal blasts of energy at either Ranma or her clone, never taking a rest. Ranma tried to return fire, but was so busy dodging that her shots, even when she didn't both to line them up and enhance them with the Hiryu Shoten Ha, kept missing – and when they _did_ hit, the demon just shrugged the burns off, so furious that he was beyond pain.

And _then_ Ranma noticed that, at some point, they'd returned to the original site of their battle, where everyone else was fighting – and someone had decided to try and take a shot at Mes'xivius.

This was _bad._ Very, very _bad._

When Kodachi had thrown her backwards, all the relief she'd been feeling at not having to see Kodachi die turned to dust in her mouth, and she struggled to get back to her feet so that she could go save the delusional girl. Then Kodachi had actually _beaten_ the demon, catching the bitch (after fighting against her for what had seemed like hours, Akane felt justified in using such language. Kasumi could complain all she wanted about proper behavior after _she_ tried to take down a demon.) off guard and exhausted. Akane felt a _little _envious, but she really, _really_ didn't have room for stuff like that, what with how exhausted she was.

So after Kodachi had finished off the demoness (the brutality of which caught Akane off guard, but she doubted she'd have been much nicer at that point), she let herself rest a little bit. Kodachi had stood there, trembling from fear or anger or stress or adrenaline or something, maybe insanity_, _until the demon Ranma had been fighting suddenly came tumbling down from the sky.

Akane had nearly wet herself in terror when it had happened. She hadn't noticed it, but at some point Ranma and the demon had returned – but they were both _flying_. Ranma had _wings. _And there were _two_ of him – Hey! That was her God Seed! How dare he just steal it like that!?

The anger, like always, helped her get back to what was important – finding the right person to beat up. She formed her hammer and turned towards the fallen demon even as Kodachi did the same. She watched, cautiously, as the demon thundered off his challenge, and then began throwing _Spears of Evil Doom from his hands!!_

She was instantly back to struggling not to wet herself in terror. They were _so screwed! _The things that demon was letting fly could have probably vaporized her with one hit, several times over, and he was just popping them off like they were casual attacks!

She felt less screwed when Ranma started returning fire, but no less scared. The massive blasts of fire he was dropping were blowing huge holes in the ground – she'd be no less dead if one of them hit her than if one of the demon's projectiles did! Well, that was debatable, actually, but it was an academic distinction at best.

She turned to Kodachi to see that the girl was looking up at Ranma, starry-eyed and seemingly oblivious about how close they were to death. "Ranma-sama is an _angel!_" she breathed out, hands held in front of her chest.

Akane felt like slapping herself. She did, in fact, indulge her need, and gave herself a heavy slap, just in case this was all a dream. Shaking herself, she waved a hand to catch Kodachi's attention. "Look. In case you hadn't noticed, that demon over there is very, _very _dangerous. I suggest we move."

Kodachi seemed to snap out of her trance, and nodded enthusiastically. "You, you're right. We can't just stay here; we must assist Ranma in his, uh, I mean _her _battle immediately!"

"No, wait, I meant-" Too late, Akane stepped forward and tried to stop her, but Kodachi had already lifted back her arm and thrown one of her spears towards the demon. It caught the demon totally by surprise, impaling him through the leg, but while the wound obviously caused him pain, he just ripped it out and tossed it to the ground before lifting a hand towards Kodachi and firing off one of the Evil Doom spears.

Akane managed to tackle Kodachi to the ground _just_ before the projectile would have hit them, screaming over their heads like a spirit of the damned and setting both girls' hair and clothes on fire. Desperately trying to pat herself off, Kodachi swore vehemently. "What was that for, harlot!?"

"Are you _joking!?_ I just saved your _life!_" Akane, the smell of her own burnt hair producing echoes of furious anger that she'd release on Ranma later, got up as she extinguished the last lingering flame. The demon no longer payed any attention to them, seemingly satisfied that he'd proven his superiority over them and that they would no longer interfere. Akane certainly had no intention of trying anything else. "We have to get out of here, _now!_"

"No! We must assist Ranma!" Kodachi was extinguishing the flames in her hair, the last ones, as she got to her feet herself.

"If we don't get out of here, we're going to _die!_ Do you want to die, Kodachi? Do you? Because you _will_ if we don't get out of the battle!"

"I fear nothing, if it is for the sake of Ranma!" The shine in her eyes told Akane that Kodachi wasn't entirely sane at that point, but she sounded firmly grounded on that point. "Run if you wish, _coward,_" Kodachi spat, "but I will not run. If I can offer even the slightest help to Ranma, I will give my life!"

"Idiot," Akane growled as she rolled her eyes, the sincerity of Kodachi's comments affecting her slightly despite herself. "Do you think Ranma would ever forgive himself-"

"Herself. She's a girl right now."

"I am _not_ getting into that right now. Anyway, do you honestly think Ranma would want you to give your life up?"

Kodachi looked a little sure of herself. "Well, perhaps not, but..."

"Then stop this idiocy!" Akane grabbed the other girl by the other shoulder. "Let's meet up with the others and figure out something. _We_ might die if we get involved, but Cologne, and maybe my father, or Ranma's, could help him out. Let's get back there and support him in a way that will actually _help._"

"Right," Akane heard from behind her, and she turned to see a totally naked Ranma landing, her wings flapping furiously as she fought to cease her momentum. "I can handle myself, so you two go and get help. Everyone else seems to have wrapped up their fights, so I'm sure they can spare someone to help me wrap this up."

Kodachi nodded eagerly, blushing sightly at Ranma's bare assets."Of course, Ranma-sama! I will do whatever is necessary to procure you some assistance. That I am not sufficiently strong enough to help you myself wounds me terribly, but-"

"Yeah, yeah. Flowery speech aside, thanks for going and getting me some help. If you really want to repay me for whatever thing you think you need to repay me for, you can pay me back with your body once this whole thing is over."

"Of course," Kodachi continued, eyes sparkling. "I am so glad that... wait, what?"

Akane, who was pretty much used to female Ranma not giving a damn about clothes, now boggled at the seeming change in personality. "Did you _really_ just say what I thought- Ohmygod, you're, you're _Ranma!_" She brought a hand to her mouth in shock.

Ranma stared at her, then blinked. "Um, yes, I am. Who else has T&A like this?" She showed off the assets in question, managing to look incredibly sexy even in their currently hellish environs.

Kodachi blushed even more deeply as she clasped her hands in front of her shyly. "Well, if, if it's _you_, Ranma, then I-"

"Cut the act, Kodachi," Akane said irritably, feeling disgusted by being in the presence of either her mortal (mental) enemy, or Ranma's rough equivalent. "We all know you'd jump his bones in a second."

"I am _not_ some, some _harlot!_ Do not speak as if I was!"

"Please. Shampoo and Ukyo are just as bad, so you're not alone. I'm the only one who shows any sanity – by not liking Ranma, of course." Akane trailed off and turned her face away, blushing slightly.

Kodachi sneered. "They may call me crazy, but at least I'm honest with myself." Then she paused, tilting her head. "Wait, am I? I'm not sure anymore. Maybe I'm just lying to myself again. Can never tell..."

"Right, you two, time to leave and stop being a target." Ranma waved back towards Mes'xivius, drawing both girls attentions back to the demon. "If you don't get away he's going to think you want to take him on again, so get- what's wrong?"

Seeing both girls' eyes widen in surprise and fear, Ranma turned around quickly, just in time to see Mes'xivius fire off another one of his blasts of energy. Grimacing, Ranma focused all the flame she could muster in one large blast, and fired it off to intercept.

The flame canceled each other out, exploding in a blast that knocked the shockwave portion off target, but the lightning continued on unhindered. Ranma could barely move her body in the way before the lightning hit her, getting absorbed into her body. Briefly, her insides were illuminated, shining through her flesh, before the electricity suddenly shot off in arcs. When it had all been released into the air, Ranma fell to the ground limply, a smoking hole twice the size of her fist in her stomach, where the lightning had hit.

"Ranma!" Both girls cried out, rushing over.

"Too... bad... Didn't... want to... die... yet..." Ranma coughed out blood, and then stretched out her hand towards the girls. "Want to... feel... the perkiness..."

The she disappeared, fading away quickly as she was dispersed.

Akane snorted, no longer worried. "Pervert. Let's get moving, Kodachi."

Still a little stunned by Ranma's disappearance, Kodachi nodded, and followed Akane as she went sprinting off towards the open portal, where everyone else was now gathered.


	12. Loooost Iiiin Spaaaace!

Surprise! It's chapter 12!

Sorry it took so long. As for an explanation, well... I've had writer's block for the longest time, and crazy things have been going on in my life. In any case, here is the next chapter, and I hope people are still reading this! Please write a review with feedback; I thrive on it.

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While the portal may have been close enough for Akane to identify that everyone else had gathered there, it was still a fair distance away; only the fact that it was big enough for thirty foot giant demons to step through it with ease let her see it at all. The relatively slow pace she was setting was a comfortable refresher when compared to the rigors of the battle she'd just fought, but Kodachi had trouble keeping up – in fact, she collapsed halfway there, unconscious, and Akane was forced to carry the annoying psycho the rest of the way.

When she finally arrived, the rest of the trip no longer so refreshing thanks to her extra load (the crazy bitch's new arm was _heavy!_), Akane found that Genma, Soun, and Ryoga were holding back the demons that were coming out of the portal, carefully pacing themselves with a patience that spoke for the two older men's experience. About fifty feet away from the portal and the furious battle going on in front of it, Shampoo and Mousse were sitting on top of a struggling Ukyo; Akane set Kodachi down against the remains of a house, and walked up.

Shampoo seemed greatly relieved to see Akane – doubtlessly a new sensation for the both of them. "Akane, I'm so glad you're here! Help me restrain Ukyo- wait, you're not injured or anything are you? Do you need any treatment?"

Akane shook her head. "No, I'm fine, and Kodachi seems alright as well, if totally exhausted. She collapsed on the way over here."

A strange look came onto Shampoo's face, and she exchanged a glance with Mousse. "Akane, I don't know how to say this... or rather, I'm not sure if you even care, but you should know – the wounds that the demon you were fighting dealt out don't heal. I don't know how you can say Kodachi's okay, but Honored Grandmother informed us that there is no chance of her lost arm getting healed."

"Her arm?" Akane blinked. "Oh, that regenerated. I think it had something to do with a God Seed she developed. Not that I understand why Kodachi, of all people, developed a God Seed, but in any case, she's fine. Just unconscious."

All three of the fighters in front of her suddenly lost about half of the tension that had been holding their bodies tight, and Shampoo almost looked like she was about to start crying from relief. "You mean no one's dead yet?" she said, voice trembling. "Oh, god, I thought one of us had died, and wasn't sure who would be next!"

Mousse nodded, looking a little less stoic than normal. "Indeed, that is wonderful news. But there's something that's been bothering me – both Shampoo and Kodachi developed God Seeds here, all of a sudden. Don't you find that strange?"

Akane shrugged. "The intensity of a life-death situation? I know that Kodachi was pretty shook up at the end there. But yeah – we've all been developing God Seeds, in rapid succession. I thought they were supposed to be really rare, and that you acquired them after a lifetime of mastering the art. Now, I don't know about you guys, but I haven't mastered my martial art in any sense, and I don't think Kodachi has anything _to_ master. It's all a little suspicious, if you ask me."

"No one did," Ukyo said bitterly.

Akane gave the chef a harsh glance. "What's her problem?"

Shampoo rolled her eyes. "When Konatsu got back here, looking a little worse for wear but not a whole lot worse than the rest of us, he immediately charged off through the portal. I've been trying to tell her that out of all of us, even Ranma, the best at remaining undiscovered is Konatsu, but she's not listening. Wants to go charging in after him."

"You don't understand!" Ukyo flailed her arms, unsuccessfully trying to move Shampoo and Mousse off of her. "Konatsu's a bumbling idiot that will sacrifice his life in an instant if he thinks it will help me! He's going to go charging off at every powerful demon he can find in there, thinking that taking out the leader will make everything grind to a halt!"

Mousse pushed his glasses farther up his nose, making them glint in the sunlight. "Since he went in, the number of demons coming through the portal has been halved. He is obviously restraining himself to hindering their activities. Even _he_ is not foolish enough to start any fights when he has wounds like those. There was quite a bit of blood on his clothes."

Predictably, Ukyo began thrashing even harder, and Shampoo gave Mousse a dirty look. "Great work, moron."

Looking suitably chastised, Mousse focused on keeping Ukyo on the ground. "Forgive me, Shampoo."

Grumbling, Shampoo tightened her grip on Ukyo's legs. "I'm used to your idiocy already, so forget about it and concentrate on staying alive. We still need to escape from this place."

Akane groaned as she realized that all their efforts would be for nothing if they couldn't escape from the strange dimension they were in. "Damn! That's right! Where's Cologne? If anyone can tell us how to escape, it would be her."

Shampoo frowned. "I am not certain. Honoured Grandmother said she would be helping defend the portal, but I have not seen her since we finished our battle and headed over here." She paused, and then showed Akane a rare moment of uncertainty. "I... am not sure how we should proceed. I think we are thoroughly out of our league."

"Well, duh!" Akane rolled her eyes. "We were out of our league the moment we tried to take on demons, but we managed to scratch by – and we'll just have to hope our luck keeps up. Look, Ranma needs help, but we'll just get in his way – let's go relieve one of those three so he can provide Ranma some backup."

Shampoo nodded, and then turned to Ukyo and raised an eyebrow quizzically. Sighing, Ukyo stopped struggling. "Fine! I understand the urgency of the situation. I won't do anything stupid, so let me up."

Mousse and Shampoo looked at each other for a second before nodding slightly and getting up at the same time. As Ukyo got to her feet and dusted herself off, Akane blinked as she realized the lower part of Mousse's robes was a only a few bloody shreds, showing legs that were wrapped with blood-soaked bandages. "Mousse, what the hell happened to you?"

Mousse's face contorted in pain briefly, as he gingerly placed his weight on his injured legs, before returning to his previous stoic passiveness. "It is not life threatening. I do not think I can travel at any great speed, but I can still support from a distance."

Shampoo gave him a glare that was part sneer and all contempt. "This idiot developed a God Seed that only allows him to heal others. Typical; I'm the on that ends up protecting him. Just don't get any of us killed, alright?"

Caught off guard, Mousse looked hurt for a second, before regaining his composure. "Of course, Shampoo-sama; do not worry. Even if it costs me my life, I-"

"I didn't _ask_ you to give your life to protect me, I asked you not to get any of us killed – and that includes you! Stop putting words in my mouth and get moving." Arrogantly and angrily flipping her hair over her shoulder, Shampoo turned around and headed towards the portal.

Mousse quickly rushed after her – at least, as fast as his injured legs would allow him – leaving Akane and Ukyo looking at each other. Ukyo was the first to react, giving Akane a shaky smile. "I guess we're hearing what Shampoo usually gives him in Chinese, huh? I kinda feel sorry for Mousse, but Konatsu acts just like him, and I understand how annoying it gets."

Shrugging, Akane began walking forward, Ukyo matching her pace. "Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact that Shampoo's a heartless bitch."

Ukyo nodded. "Agreed. Out of all of us, she's the one I- no, wait, I worry more about Kodachi. That psycho's going to do something really nasty one of these days if we don't watch her."

Akane nodded gravely, before turning to the scene in front of her. As she got a truly good look at what was going on, she realized how formidable all the participants were in this battle. Ryouga was using his gravitic aura constantly now, it seemed; the rubble in about a five-foot radius around him would occasionally get broken up into smaller and smaller shards, until only dust was left. As he was constantly moving around, this resulted in a roughly circular flat clearing in front of the portal, which was periodically disgorging demonic giants. The giants were humanoids that stood about thirty feet tall, each one wearing a unique, chaotic collection of metal plates that functioned as both their armor and their only bit of clothing; this resulted in many of them being almost completely naked. Each demon had horns on their head, the size, shape, number and position of which varied from demon to demon. Their skin was bright crimson, and their hands seemed to be made out of bulky granite starting from the elbow; since the claws on these rock gauntlets were quite sharp, they used them clumsily but effectively to both smash and slash at their foes.

The trio defending against the giants were killing them pretty effectively – one would go down every couple of minutes or so – but the bodies just disintegrated into glowing red particles, which flew back into the gate. Whether the demons that continued to come out were the same ones that had been 'killed' or new ones was not obviously apparent, but Akane hated to think they were fighting creatures that didn't need to fear death. As they approached, Akane could see that Genma and her father were, to some extent, taking the brunt of the attack; Ryouga was looking frustrated, and she sympathized – even thought he was considerably better than she was, he was still being out-gunned. Ryouga had almost as much pride as Ranma – it was the source of his endless depression, and such a situation could not have been making him feel very good. Then again, most of his abilities used his depression, so it was kinda of a good thing. Not for Ryouga, obviously, being depressed was never a good thing, but he was staying alive, and keeping her alive, so it was okay for him to be miserable, right?

Sighing, Akane shook her head. Damn martial artists, always turning her morals on their head.

She stopped suddenly, realizing she was about to pass Shampoo and Ukyo, who had taken cover behind a chunk of rubble in order to make a proper assessment of the situation from up close. She joined them, and Mousse after her, and they all carefully peaked over the edge.

It was even more apparent from this distance that Ryouge wasn't being near as much of a help as Genma and her father. While Ryoga was obviously much better at his new technique than he was thirty minutes ago – his control over the size of the area was almost perfect, although he still had to keep it a rough circle – he was limited to using his basic hand-to-hand techniques, along with an occasional breaking point attack that would shoot surprisingly ineffective chunks of rock at the giants; unless it hit them in a critical area, they just shrugged off the hits. This left him serving more as clean up to Soun and Genma's teamwork than anything else.

Soun was quite devastating with his naginata, of which he could control the size, length, and even shape effortlessly. It was undoubtedly the family weapon – Akane recognized the feather charm tied to the base of the hilt – but it was shining with a pure white light, giving it an almost holy look. It certainly seemed to be effective against the demons – whenever any part of the weapon touched the demons apart from their armor or their rock hands, the weapon seemed to suck them up, leaving gaping holes. This meant that wherever Soun could reach with his weapon was effectively his territory – the demons were extremely cautious about getting within fifteen feet of him, since they couldn't dodge or block his attacks in time if they were any closer.

Genma was staying behind Soun, which didn't surprise Akane, but he was just as effective, if not more so, than her father. His main attack was some sort of long-range ki attack that took almost a minute to charge up, but instantly killed any demon it hit, and Genma would often line the attack up to hit several at once. It seemed to be some sort of air-based attack; Genma would fire off a small invisible beam of _something_, and the beam would then implode in a nearly two-foot radius, leaving a compacted string of blood, flesh, and sometimes metal behind. The demons may have been thirty feet tall, but a four-foot diameter hole in their middle was something even they couldn't endure.

When Genma wasn't lining up for the shot, he was moving so fast that he seemed to be teleporting. It was obviously a high-speed dash of some sort – you could clearly see him accelerate and decelerate – but he would just disappear from one spot and reappear in another. With his high powered attacks and unbelievable mobility, combined with Soun's deadly defensive wall, they seemed unstoppable, especially when compared to Ryouga's relatively pathetic attacks.

"Well," Akane said after a moment, "Seems Ryouga's they guy who needs to be relieved the most. Let's take his place and let him go help Ranma."

The three others nodded, and they all broke out of cover and headed towards the battle, steeling themselves for the conflict to come. "Ryouga," Akane called out loudly, getting everyone's attention, "We're here to relieve you! Ranma needs some help, and we're not good enough to really help any, so you need to go support him however you can!"

Ryouga paused, blinking in surprise for a moment, before turning to Genma, who was the closest of the two adults. "That's okay, right? I mean, it might be best if one of you two go help finish his battle."

Genma shook his head briefly, not wanting to divide his attention from charging up his next attack. "No, we're needed here to stem the tide. If the demons get a foot hold here, it's all over – you go help Ranma as best you can. Who is he fighting, anyway?"

Squinting her eyes, Akane probed into her memory, but found all she could remember from the past few hours was clouded over with adrenaline-tinged fear. "Some demon named Mes... Mes-something."

Genma suddenly paled. "Mes'xivius?"

"Yeah, that's it. Why, you know him?"

"In a way." Genma started swearing under his breath. "What is that boy thinking, taking on a demon of that power!?"

Akane materialized her hammer as she passed Ryouga, seeing two giants in front of her that had become aware of their new opponents. "Nabiki did something to him, nearly killed him," she said tersely. "It severely weakened him."

Relaxing, Genma turned back to the battle in front of him. "That's a relief. Well, Nabiki having such power isn't a relief, but at least Ranma has a chance, then. I wouldn't fight Mes'xivius if I could help it, injured or not, but with a little bit of luck, Ranma might be able to take him down. That demon is not one to hold back; if Ranma's lasted this long, then he just might make it. Ryouga, you should go as soon as you can. Rest if you need to; Mes'xivius will not let you have any second chances."

Shaking his head, Ryouga sighed. "I've hardly been doing anything here. I'll go see what I can do to help Ranma, but don't blame me if I end up as useless there as I was here."

Before anyone could respond, Ryouga dashed off morosely. Genma rolled his eyes before motioning for the four new combatants to take up positions on the fringe of the clearing. "That boy needs to grow a backbone. Now, take it easy you four; gang up on any demons that make it past Soun and aren't about to be hit by me, or any that hang back and try anything funny from a distance. Keep an eye out for Konatsu, too; he's going to be coming back out of that portal any minute now."

Ukyo frowned, concerned. "Why?"

"Well, more and more demons are going to show up; eventually there'll be too many for him to effectively hide from, and he'll be forced to retreat. Don't worry, Ukyo; Konatsu can take care of himself, and Cologne went in there with him."

Grumbling, Ukyo nodded, and took her position on the sidelines. Shampoo and Mousse looked at each other briefly at Cologne's name, but faced the demons in front of them; Honoured Grandmother being in danger was as unthinkable as the sun itself dying, and now that they knew where she was, one of their worries had disappeared. Akane was the last to prepare herself; she always preferred to be on the attack, and taking a secondary position on the sidelines annoyed her as much as it had Ryouga.

With a final nod to each other, the four dashed towards a demon that had made it past Soun. It was almost over; once Mes'xivius was down, there wouldn't be any formidable enemies left. Cologne would be sure to get them out of this strange, unpleasant realm, just as long as they stayed safe until her return – and Ranma took down Mes'xivius.

Silently, they all prayed for Ranma's success.

* * *

Even as she dodged attacks that could instantly end her, Ranma knew that the fight was near it's end. Mes'xivius' increase in firepower was not because he had been holding back; it was because he was now recklessly burning his power in an attempt to get rid of Ranma once and for all. Still, the pure scale of this fight was beginning to shake Ranma's core; she had _never_ fought a battle even close to this level before, and even if she fought perfectly, without any mistakes, she wasn't sure she could defeat the demon in front of her.

For the moment she was focusing on dodging. Letting off attacks like he was, Mes'xivius would eventually burn himself out; Ranma just needed to wait for her chance to strike. What she would strike with, she wasn't sure, as even the attacks the Mes'xivius seemed to have been cautiously avoiding before were now just outright ignored.

Dodging was getting more and more difficult, though; with her clone gone, all of Mes'xivius' attacks were focused on her, and even with Saffron's regeneration she was beginning to run out of ki. It seemed Saffron's God Seed couldn't keep working forever; like a generator run at max capacity for too long, it was beginning to overheat and fail.

On the plus side, she was getting used to the bare minimum distance needed to dodge Mes'xivius' attacks. As long as she kept a foot's distance from the swirling lance of energy, the electrical portion of the attack wouldn't transfer to her; if was willing to deal with the electricity, she could get closer, but the closer she got to actually getting hit by the other two streams of fire and force, the more electricity transferred over to her. Grimacing, Ranma sacrificed some distance and let an incoming blast graze her, causing electricity to send painful spasms through her system, so that she had enough room to dodge the next blast Mes'xivius had launched. _On the other hand, he's getting used to how I dodge, as well... even enraged, this guy is coldly coordinating his attacks._

There was a brief break in the attacks, and Ranma looked down to see Ryouga approaching Mes'xivius from the ground. Mes'xivius quickly launched a lance at him, causing Ranma to open her eyes wide with panic, but Ryouga seemed ready for the attack. Quickly slipping off a slipper, he lifted his foot slightly before tensing his body; a wave of gravity pushed outwards from him, and the stream of force exploded, extinguishing the stream of fire. The lightning continued on unhindered, just like it had when Ranma's clone tried to counter the blast, but Ryouga was prepared for this, too. Jabbing his big toe down into the ground, he managed to activate a Breaking Point attack so precise that a single chunk of rock leapt out of the ground and into the path of the lightning, instantly countering the attack with its non-conductive properties and promptly exploding.

Mes'xivius seemed to be even further enraged, and launched several more attacks, but Ryouga was unshaken; his gravitic aura countered the fire and force effortlessly, and Ryouga was able to repeatedly send pieces of rock to counter the lightning. As Mes'xivius seemed unable to stop using the force, thus letting the fire get through unhindered, they were at a stalemate – no, Ryouga hadn't even attacked yet.

Of course, Ranma knew that Mes'xivius was far from reliant on ranged attacks. She dived down to support Ryouga as Mes'xivius abandoned firing the lances and dashed forward towards Ryouga so fast the lost boy could barely open his eyes in shock before the demon was upon him. Ryouga was no push over in melee combat, however; unlike Ranma, who focused on speed, Ryouga had considerable endurance, strength, and a natural toughness, allowing him to block a few blows and even counterattack a little.

Mes'xivius was not impressed, however; no matter how strong or tough Ryouga was, Mes'xivius outclassed him, and soon Ryouga was fighting a retreating battle as his arms began to give out on him. It had bought him the time Ranma had needed, though; she was on top of Mes'xivius before he had realized what was happening and, carefully aiming at the bleeding stumps that had once been wings, Ranma unleashed the full power of the Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken combined with Saffron's potent flames. With an anguished roar, Mes'xivius clumsily swung backwards with a single hand, but Ranma was already gone; instead, Ryouga took the opportunity to make a full power attack with both fists, twisting them at the very last moment to send a dual spiral shockwave through Mes'xivius chest, dealing even more damage to the now smoking holes in his back, along with a considerable amount of damage to his lungs and heart.

That was more than even Mes'xivius could handle; gasping raggedly, he backed off and began to heal himself. Ryouga was about to dash forward to continue the assault, but Ranma stopped him. "Wait. No matter how much damage we do, he'll just regenerate it. He's tiring out, but I think we're going to tire out first; we need to give him a decisive blow."

Ryouga nodded. "Right, but how are we going to do it? I can't really think of anything you could do that you already haven't, and if you can't do it, how am I supposed to?."

"Yeah, well, I'm the speed guy; my finishing move ends at the Hiryu Shoten Ha, and that isn't enough. You're the strength guy; if anyone can deal enough damage to this guy to put him down for good, it's you. Have a little more confidence in your strong points, Ryouga."

"You know, I don't like how you're stereotyping me. You make me sound like a dumb idiot who can only smash things really hard, when you're the one who's always getting into fights."

"I'm just calling it how I see it, P-chan."

The two glared at each other briefly, before taking heart from the normal exchange. "Right," Ranma said, "Now that I think about it, if I have some time to charge it up, I can make my fire blasts as strong as I need them to be. I don't think it will take him down, but it'll give you an opening; can you use it?"

"I've got some attacks up my sleeve; I'll come up with something. I'll keep him in one place until you charge it up enough, alright?"

"Right. Let's do it!"

Ranma beat her wings and took to the air, while Ryouga dashed towards Mes'xivius. The demon wasn't even close to fully healed, but he seemed to have stopped bleeding, and was no longer having trouble breathing. When Ryouga got close enough to strike, Mes'xivius was the first to do so, making Ryouga take a half step backwards unwillingly.

Quickly Mes'xivius built his momentum, and Ryouga was soon backpedaling as quick as he could. Suspicious at this cowardly behavior, Mes'xivius was ready for the sneak attack Ryouga tried to make when the demon gave him the opportunity and grabbed a hold of the fist Ryouga had sent towards his chest; however, he _wasn't _ready for the small boulder that shot out of the ground and hit him on the chin, sending his head flying backwards.

Unfortunately, this had led him to getting a glimpse of Ranma, and Mes'xivius instantly swung one hand around in order to fire off a few shots at Ranma and keep her from building up any more energy. Seeing their plan about to fall through, Ryouga made a dangerous gamble and got close – too close. Mes'xivius used his free hand to rake down Ryouga's chest, digging three inch-deep trenches into his flesh.

Even as he was unable to hold back the scream of pain, though, Ryouga used both of his fists to deliver a blow to Mes'xivius' upper rib cage. Unable to avoid reflexively swinging his arms closed, Mes'xivius growled in pain as bones flexed, creaked, cracked and broke under the powerful attack. With a fierce roar, part pain and part fury at underestimating a mortal's strength, Mes'xivius swung both hands down in a double chop at Ryouga's neck, making Ryouga's vision go white, and then black, before he crumpled to the ground.

Mes'xivius stood over him, growling, and raised a hand to deliver a finishing blow, but a loud shout from Ranma caused him to turn around. He whirled to see Ranma... still charging up energy, a desperate smile on her face as Mes'xivius realized he had, once again, fallen for a bluff from this infuriating mortal. He turned back around to see that Ryouga had disappeared, a smile pile of dirt all that was left.

Glaring, Mes'xivius began charging up his own attack. Ranma's eyes widened as she realized that Mes'xivius was capable of delivering an attack even more powerful than what he had already been throwing out; hesitating for only a second, she fired what she had charged up towards the demon.

It was a huge amount of flame, nearly five time the size of Ranma's previous blasts, but Mes'xivius proved to have superior firepower once again; even with only a few seconds to gather energy, his blast of black flame was even larger than Ranma's. The two fires clashed, and both fighters continued to feed more flame into their respective attacks, putting everything they had into them. Unfortunately, Mes'xivius flame quickly began to overpower Ranma's, and after only a few seconds, the black flame rushed towards Ranma,

That was, until the ground suddenly collapsed under Mes'xivius' feet.

With a surprised grunt, Mes'xivius found himself suddenly free-falling, and he still had no wings. Roaring his rage, he turned down to find Ryouga had, in the minute he had been given, not only dug a pit so deep that Mes'xivius couldn't see the bottom and so wide he was a good ten feet from all its sides, but had created some sort of gravitic sphere. Ryouga was standing on top of the sphere, hands placed down on it, and it quickly began to suck Mes'xivius in.

Placing both hands downwards, Mes'xivius prepared energy to both fry the impertinent child below him and send Mes'xivius himself rocketing out of the hole before he fell any deeper, but that was when Ranma's massive blast of flame finally overcame the advantage the black flame had made and slammed into his back. Pain filling his senses, Mes'xivius was sent flying even faster into the center of the sphere, where the gravity caught him and kept him trapped.

Ryouga breathed deeply and focused on maintaining the sphere, but he quickly realized something had gone wrong. He stood up, removing his hands from the sphere, but it continued to grow larger and stronger. "Uh, Ranma? This gravity sphere I made is becoming self-sustaining."

"What do you mean, 'self-sustaining'?" Ranma called out as she flew down to the edge of the pit.

"I mean I can't stop it, and it's only getting bigger!"

Ranma blinked, confused, before gasping. "Oh, damn! Saffron's regenerative powers must have leaked into the fire, and then leaked into the sphere! Get out of there, Ryouga – now!"

Ryouga didn't need any further urging; the sphere's gravity was becoming too much for his own gravitic aura to counter. Leaping back and forth from the walls, he reached the edge, and both teenagers looked down into the sphere one last time. In the center, burned black and slowly but surely getting crushed into a pulpy mess, was Mes'xivius, still roaring his defiance.

Grimacing, the two ran off towards the portal, the ground around the pit crumbling as the sphere continued to expand. "You know," Ranma said, "I think I understand why my pops never uses the techniques he makes. Some things are just too powerful, too uncontrollable and frightening to ever use. How about we seal that combo technique ourselves, and pretend it never happened?"

Ryouga nodded. "I agree. It's a good thing we're in a separate dimension; who knows how long that thing will keep going, if it even stops at all?"

"Well, if we ever want to destroy the world, now we know how."

"Don't even joke about that."

"Who says I'm joking? Somethings are worth it – like, if everyone in the world suddenly cooked like Akane does."

"You wouldn't have to do anything, then – Akane's cooking would destroy the world for you."

"Hey, what happened to Mr. Chivalry, who never allowed me to say anything bad about Akane?"

"I'm too tired to be chivalrous right now. As much as I... like Akane, her cooking is lethal. The only thing more frightening is your ability to endure it. Seriously, you're something else; when was the last time you got sick from eating anything other than Akane's cooking?"

The two continued chatting, relief and joy gradually building on their faces until they were smiling broadly. They had done it.

They had done it!

They had defeated one of the seven... demon lords? Or was it seven deadly sins? Wait, but Mes'xivius had called himself lord of conquest, and that didn't really fit into any of the seven... Whatever, the point was, they had won, and the battle was over. Sure, they had had to use a technique that practically made them pee their pants with its destructive potential, but it was over now.

When they got back to the rest of the group, they found the portal had been closed, and the remaining demons dealt with. Everyone was exhausted; Shampoo and Mousse were staying as close as they could to Cologne, who was looking more ragged than Ranma had ever seen her; Ukyo was keeping a hand on Konatsu at all times; Akane and her two sisters, who had emerged from whatever hidig place they had found during the chaotic battle, were holding up a shell-shocked Soun, who had apparently gone limp when no enemies were left; and Genma, for some reason, was carrying Kodachi's limp form in his arms.

As Ryouga want to go relieve Akane of her burden, Ranma turned into a guy and headed towards his father; even if his own familiarity with his guy form was disappearing, Genma had raised a son, and despite his best efforts he was obviously more comfortable with a son than a daughter.

"Pops," Ranma said shakily, his body starting to feel the effects of exhaustion, "I did it. I got the bastard. We can go home now."

"We kind of figured you did, since the portal closed – thankfully with Konatsu and Cologne on this side." Genma sighed with relief, looking even older than he usually did. "Boy, you did good, but don't you ever try something like that again!"

Ranma flinched. "What's your problem, pops? I beat him, didn't I? And I'm only going to get stronger – some day, I'll eat guys like that for breakfast!"

"Arrogant brat!" Genma scowled before briefly taking one hand away from his burden to smack Ranma over the head. "This dimension was designed by Mes'xivius specifically to facilitate the transfer of deific energy, doubtless to help him absorb your powers more fully. The only reason you won is because he underestimated you and let you fight on a battleground that was helpful to you! Didn't you even notice that it was two or three times easier to form deific energy here!?"

Ranma rubbed the back of his head. "Well, no, not really-"

"Idiot boy! Haven't you been listening to anything I taught you!? The only reason _any_ of you survived is because you all started developing God Seeds on the fly! It's a real miracle that we all came through this without losing anyone – As soon as we make it back, we're going to go give a big fat offering to every god there is!"

Rolling his eyes, Ranma mumbled, "superstitious loser," under his breath, but then frowned. "Wait, people other than me have developed God Seeds!? Who!?"

Genma smirked. "All of them, boy, and let me tell you – you're not the only one people are going to be looking out for. Some broad, far-reaching, and powerful God Seeds have been born this day."

"Everyone? I mean, I saw Nabiki develop one with my own eyes, but even Kasumi and Kodachi?"

"Well, not Kasumi, as far as I can tell, but it's not impossible for it to happen. Not only martial artists develop God Seeds; I think those three sisters inherited something from their mother. She was a bit of a psychic, if I recall correctly; Soun was my friend, but I distanced myself from him as soon as he got married – seeing him grow old with his wife was a little too much for me to bear."

For a moment, Genma looked very sad, and Ranma realized that his father had married his mother despite centuries of seeing his friends and family grow old. _He must have loved her a lot, to put himself in a situation like that._ Then he shook his head. "Okay, I'm not sure I believe you about the crazy psychic stuff, but what about Kodachi?"

"Oh, she's a Kuno," Genma said matter-of-factly.

"... And?"

"I told you, didn't I? Kunos break the rules, for better of worse. From what I can see, this girl's developed the ability to incorporate anything she eats into her body." Genma looked down at Kodachi, and a wistful, fond smile came over his face.

Of course, this was understandably worrisome to Ranma. "Pops, what is the deal with you and Kunos? First you tell me to stay the hell away from them, like their insanity is contagious or something – and believe me, I understand that worry – but it wasn't just that. There was something else about Kunos that you didn't want to talk about, and now you look at Kodachi like she's your dau- oh no. Oh no no no no-"

Genma gave Ranma a reviled look. "Of course not! I've _never _cheated on your mother!"

"Then why!?" As he continued, the strangeness of his father's behavior was bugging him more and more. "What the hell is your connection with the Kunos!?"

"Boy, that is, uh, this is not the time to talk about this! We have to get out of here-"

"Bullshit, that black hole me and Ryouga accidentally made won't get even close to use for another ten minutes, so spill it!"

"Well, uh, I didn't want to- wait, what? Did you say something about a black hole?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, it's over there, where we finished Mes'xivius off. Don't worry; I've been keeping an eye on it, and it's not going to get close to us anytime soon."

Genma started to sweat, but reluctantly turned back to Ranma. "Well, if you say so... You know, maybe we should go-"

Turning into a girl again, Ranma gave her father a very feminine stare. "Spill it, _dad_."

Gulping, Genma briefly wondered why his son had to have inherited his mother's glare when he turned into a girl. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you. I married a Kuno, once; was deeply in love with her. She was from a distant branch in Hokkaido, but they were about as crazy there as they are here. She left them, though; she was saner and smarter than the rest of them, and when they threatened to send assassins after me if we didn't stop seeing each other, she cut her ties with them."

Stunned, Ranma opened and closed her mouth a couple of time. "Wow. That's, uh. Wow. How long ago was this?"

A perverse smirk grew on Genma's face; he'd gone this far, he might as well appreciate the shock on his daughter's face before it turned to anger. "Come now, Ranma. Your mother isn't _that_ old."

"What does-" Ranma stopped short, falling to her knees in horror as she realized what her father was saying. "No. It can't be true. It _can't _be!"

Images began to swirl in her mind, puzzle pieces falling into place, forming a twisted, horrible picture. Images of Kodachi cackling from a high perch above her foes; images of herself taunting her opponents cockily from a similar height. Of Tatewaki, the only person she had ever found who was more self-confident than she was, albeit to the point of ridiculousness. It was a stretch, yeah, and it wouldn't have even occurred to her if her father hadn't brought the idea up, but now she couldn't say that it was impossible.

"I'm... a Kuno?"

Genma laughed. "No, of course not! You're only half Kuno, and I'm the one who raised you. That was the main reason I needed to get you away from your mother, you see. She's a wonderful woman, but her ideas of manhood are... a little strange. I mean, to think that she was _actually_ going to make us commit seppukku... Well, I think you understand why we had to leave home while you were so young."

Ranma stopped hyperventilating as badly. "Alright, okay. It's okay, I'm not a Kuno, I'm just a tiny bit similar. I'm not crazy and insane, just confident – I got the _good_ part, and got rid of the rest. It's fine, nothing's changed; I'm still me, I'm still Ranma Saotome, strongest martial artist on the planet."

"Well, you certainly got the over-confidence." Genma smiled and released a breath he had been holding; it looked like his daughter wasn't going to kill him. Then he looked down. "As for why I was looking at Kodachi like that, well, she reminds me of your mother. I thought it was a once-in-a-millennium occurrence for a Kuno to be relatively sane, but this girl's looking fairly balanced, as far as Kunos go. Of course, she's still pretty messed up; it's a good thing she's been disowned right now, and not ten years down the line. Maybe I should ask Nodoka to take care of her..."

Regaining her focus, Ranma set aside that particular issue – and oh, was it an _issue_ – and turned to her father. "Alright, enough of that. It's time we got out of here."

"Indeed," Cologne said sagely from behind, followed closely by Shampoo and Mousse. "It is time we escaped from here. I was originally worried that the dimension was going to begin collapsing as soon as we defeated the demon who created it, but it looks like your little black hole is giving this place something to hold on to and sustain it, even as it is destroyed by that very same thing."

Everyone seemed to be gathering near Ranma and Genma, and Ryouga spoke up as he walked to Ranma's side carrying Soun by himself. "Look, I know I'm not some master martial artist like some of the people here, but I created that thing, and if I'm right, it's going to start getting stronger much, much faster. We should be getting out of here _now_."

Cologne nodded. "A sound decision. It will take me a minute or two to reopen the tunnel connecting this dimension and the real world." She kneeled down in front of her staff, grasping it tightly between her two hands, and began slowly making large, sweeping movements with it. "Be warned," she said with eyes focused in front of her, "you have all adjusted to this dimension; it will be a little shocking to return to a place not filled with malicious, demonic energy."

Soon, the air began to waver, as if a heat wave had suddenly covered the whole area. Then, a point of light appeared in front of Cologne; slowly but surely it grew larger, revealing itself to be a portal. On the other side the same scenery could be scene, but it was unmolested by the extensive violence that had occurred in their fight; where all around them was rubble, through that glowing window everything was absolutely normal.

Like the past several hours hadn't ever happened.

Ranma suddenly stood a little straighter, eyes widening. _Damn! We just saved the _world_, and no one will ever know! That's..._ She groaned, putting a hand on her face and squeezing her temples.

Ryouga turned to her, looking concerned. "Are you alright? Did you use up too much Ki? I can carry you if you need me to."

Ranma gave him an incredulous stare. "Huh? Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"

For some reason, Ryouga blushed and turned away. "Well, I, um... I'm just grateful that we made it out of this alive, and while you didn't do everything, you were the one to take on biggest enemy. I just... want to show my thanks."

"Whatever, P-chan. You helped beat him too. Stop getting weird on me and hold on to that limp noodle a little tighter."

Ranma took off, walking towards the portal, leaving Ryouga standing looking flustered. He stared after Ranma for a few moments, before being tapped on the shoulder by no one other than Nabiki, who was grinning like a cat who'd just been presented a hog-tied canary for her birthday. "That's so sweet, Ryouga, offering to help Ranma like that. _Really_ sweet."

Ryouga's face turned an interesting color as he fought between embarrassment and terror. He opened his mouth, and then closed it, panic evident on his face as he decided how to deal with this situation. Finally, he took a deep breath before staring straight into Nabiki's eyes with a determination that made the Ice Queen of Nerima blink in surprise. "Tell me, Nabiki; where do you draw the line when it comes to right and wrong? What is a 'necessary' or 'acceptable' evil? When is a crime too evil for even you to commit?"

His fierce gaze was met with a smirk. "What makes you think there's a line at all?"

"Because, Nabiki, you aren't a bad person," Ryouga said plainly, and this time it was Nabiki's turn to look both confused and embarrassed. "After years traveling the world, I've learned to sense these kinds of things on instinct (mostly because lots of people want to eat me), and my instinct is telling me that your motive for doing what you do isn't a bad one, like greed, but a good one. What that is I'm not quite sure, but I'm sure funding your household is at least part of it."

Nabiki had been caught off guard by this sudden assault of honesty, but she quickly regained her mental footing and gave Ryouga a cocky smile. "Well, that's nice of you to say, Ryouga. Real sweet; almost as sweet as how you were treating Ranma, in fact."

"Tch!" Ryouga turned away, his plan failed. "Fine, I slipped up and started thinking of Ranma as a girl, and maybe my imagination started to go a little wild. How much to forget about it?"

"How much?" Nabiki barked a laugh. "Let me put this plainly, Ryouga, as you so kindly put your opinion of me: too much for you. Ranma's a hot little thing, and I understand why'd you be a little uncomfortable around... her, sometimes, but that's as far as my empathy reaches. Here's the deal; for the next year, you do whatever I tell you to do, or Ranma gets a little black book filled with compromising pictures."

"A year!? And what compromising pictures!? I've never done anything like... whatever you're insinuating I've been doing!"

"You've obviously never taken a look at my _other _little black books. Let's just say I don't need a whole lot to convince Ranma that you're head over heels for him – and if he right-out confronts you about it, what exactly are you, the one person in Nerima aside from Kasumi who is totally incapable of lying, going to say? 'No, I'm not in love with you, I'm just lusting after your body'?"

Growling, Ryouga hesitated for a long moment before slowly bending his head. "Fine. You have a deal."

There was a feeling of a weight coming down onto the two of them, and Ryouga's eyes widened as he realized what had just happened. "You bitch! How dare you-"

"Be quiet," Nabiki commanded, and Ryouga promptly shut his mouth, making muffled sounds through his closed lips. Nabiki paused briefly, concentrating, before sighing. "Looks like I'm bound not to betray your secrets, even if I wanted to. Too bad; I was hoping I'd be able to bend the deal from my side, but it's not a huge obstacle; I'll just have to be careful what I promise."

Nabiki began walking towards the portal, and motioned for Ryouga to follow her. "You can speak now, but I don't want you complaining. And don't tell anyone about our agreement – nothing more than that we've got a deal. You understand?"

"Yeah," Ryouga said bitterly as he dragged Soun along, "I understand." _What have I gotten myself into? More importantly – Ranma, you will pay for making me see hell!_

"Also, no revenge against Ranma."

_Damn it!_

* * *

Cologne stood to the side of the portal as everyone made their way through, all nursing various injuries. First came the three Tendo sisters, followed by her charges Shampoo and Mousse, and then Ranma. Ukyo and Kontasu limped through, and then Ryouga and Nabiki went together, Soun carried along, Finally, all that was left was Genma, Kodachi, and herself.

Genma walked up, but paused before stepping through the portal. "Let me make this clear," he said coldly. "You are not getting your hands on Ranma anytime soon. He may decide, one day, to marry Shampoo, and that'll his choice. But I'll be damned if I don't try and convince him otherwise in the meantime! I'm not letting my son become a breeding stud for the Amazons!"

Cologne smiled slightly. "I am afraid that I no longer have the authority to enforce anything like that anymore. Shampoo has developed a God Seed, as has Mousse; according to tradition, no one can order them to do anything, not even the council of elders. My role as Shampoo's guardian is at an end, and I am afraid I have not been able to guide her onto the correct path. Doubtless she will take advantage of her new freedom and explore the world, as she has always wished to do; it is out of my hands now."

All the strength left Genma's body, his knees shaking as he took a deep breath. "Whew! That's a relief! I was terrified I'd be making an enemy of the Amazons!"

"In case you forgot, you already have. I look forward to hearing what the council of elders decides once they learn that Ranma is no longer the priority, and that your crimes can finally be addressed."

"Crimes!" Genma spluttered. "All I did was eat some food!"

Cologne narrowed her eyes. "On _six_ different occasions over the last 2 centuries, you have eaten a ceremonial feast, and then run off without paying for your crimes. And of those six feasts, _three_ were cooked by me, personally!"

"But, Master _ordered_ me to! It was part of his revenge against you, or something. What was I supposed to do – disobey him!?"

Clucking her tongue, Cologne turned to the portal. "I've never met a bigger coward than you; you should have landed in the Pool of Drowned Chicken! Through the portal with you!" She whipped out her staff and whacked Genma over the head with it, causing him to cry out and run through the portal. Looking around the ruined clone of Nerima around her one last time, Cologne frowned. "Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?"

After a moment, she shrugged, and went through the portal herself, letting it close behind her.

The gravity well continued to expand, eventually distorting light and time as it turned into a real black hole. If one were to watch, one could see pieces of rubble, along with the dozens of demon bodies that lay strewn across the area, slowly but surely get dragged into the abyss. When the portal finally began to suck in the copy of the Tendo dojo, a chained, bound and gagged figure got dragged out as well, anger emanating from it waves that surpassed even the residual demonic energy in strength; behind all the bindings, the furious face of Pantyhose Taro was clear.

If you were to watch long enough, you'd see him, too, succumb to the abyss and disappear into its depths.

* * *

And this little arc is pretty much finished! You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out what happens next. Hopefully that won't be too long...


	13. Enter the Black Berets!

Chapter 13!

This is kinda introspective at time. Tell me how it works out, as a device to communicate how the character thinks.

* * *

The very first thing Ranma did once she'd stepped through the portal was find the closest bit of grass and lay down in it, spread-eagle. The grass wasn't very thick, or even very healthy-looking for that matter, but it was alive, and it didn't hate her – unlike everything in that other dimension. The constant aura of demonic hate had made it seem like the entire world was out to get her, literally.

The others trickled through the gate, with Cologne being the last. That was their final collective act, however; once they had reached safety, their camaraderie dissolved, and they all made their way home with as much haste as their exhausted bodies could manage. It wasn't that they _distrusted_ the others; it was just that they had been through an unbelievable ordeal, and had made by with high dosages of adrenaline and by ignoring most of the glaring details, like the fact that they had been fighting demons. Now everyone was starting to realize exactly _what_ they had just accomplished, and it was blowing their minds.

Ranma, of course, was in this situation as well. Lying in the grass, her eyes staring, unfocused, at the wonderfully blue sky above them, her mind was replaying most of the last hour or so. Starting from when the demon summoner has first appeared, and Soun and Genma had driven him off, to their infiltration of the facility and the tense unease Ranma had felt as she made her way down a pretty much straight hallway, to Mes'xivius' carnivorous act of betrayal, and the truly gory end of the summoner that accompanied it, and then the fight that had exhausted Ranma and driven her to the very ends of her stamina.

Finally, the information she had just learned from her father resonated in her mind. _I'm a Kuno..._ It was almost all she could think about. Well, that and the fact the Tendos were psychics, and thus there was a chance that _Nabiki was reading her mind!_ But that could wait. At the moment, Ranma's very identity was in doubt.

Her first idea was to go see her mother, but that was quickly crushed under the mountain of objections that her inner self immediately countered with. Yes, she could ask her mother if it was true or not, but that really wasn't the problem; while she didn't trust her pops for much, lying about something _this _important was beyond even him!

No, what was troubling Ranma were all the attached questions. If her mother was a Kuno, then what did that mean? Nodoka hadn't mentioned it, and that either meant that Nodoka didn't want to tell Ranma because she didn't want Ranma to know, or she didn't think it was very important. The first made Ranma's heart throb with anger – how could her parents have hidden such an... important truth from her! - while the second made her afraid. Very afraid.

How much of a Kuno was Nodoka? Was she filthy rich? Did she grow up spoiled rotten like Kodachi and Tatewaki? Did she have a pet name for herself? Were Nodoka's family anything like the the Nerimian Kunos? Did they have pet ninja? Did Ranma have to worry about getting paralysis dust to the face if she displeased her mother? Did she _really_ have to worry about committing seppuku if she didn't become a manly man, which was now impossible thanks to Jusenkyo dissolving the boundaries of her personality?

As she lay in the grass, the questions flowing through her mind too fast for her subconscious to even throw out theoretical answers, Ranma didn't even realize that everyone had left. The only one left was her father, with Kodachi in her arms. Ranma's eyes briefly stared into her father's, showing her awareness of his presence, and then switched to Kodachi's prone form. A strange expression grew on Ranma's face, an almost morbid curiosity mixed with an unadulterated terror.

There was a moment of silence as Ranma stayed absolutely still and Genma looked down at her sadly. Then Genma sighed, loudly. "C'mon, girl. Let's get going back to the Tendo dojo."

Ranma flicked her eyes back and forth between her father and Kodachi, as if she was both terrified of looking at the Kuno, and of Kodachi doing something unexpected while she wasn't looking. "Is she... coming back with us?"

The sadness instantly lifted from Genma's face, replaced with a disgusted glare. "What the hell is that supposed to mean, boy!? Are you suggesting we leave someone who _you_ offered to take care of, simply because you're uncomfortable around her? Since when did you become such a coward!?"

Flinching, Ranma rolled her body away slightly, unconsciously shielding her vitals from her father's stare. "I... I know we need to take care of her, but... what the hell am I supposed to do now? Does honor dictate I treat her like family? Do I need to try and understand this psycho? _Help_ her? I mean, I was already going to try, but I didn't really expect to _succeed_, I mean, she's a _Kuno-_"

Exhausted as she was, Ranma was unable to dodge the kick her father sent her way. "Idiot child of mine! This is why I told you not to get involved with Kunos – I _knew_ you'd react badly once I told you about your mother! I should have told you about them while I was raising you!"

"Then why the hell didn't you!?" Ranma retorted angrily.

A vein throbbing on his forehead from the frustration and anger, Genma turned away from Ranma. "Because I didn't want to risk you latching onto the idea of coming from some important family when you had no idea what that family was like. What if, tired of our endless training journey, you'd decided to try and find your mother's family? If you had wanted to, I'm sure you could have escaped from me at some point – and in any case, I didn't want to have such an untrusting relationship with my son. It was better to just leave you in the dark."

"I wouldn't exactly call us 'trusting'," Ranma said bitterly. "How many times have you sold me out?"

"So I'm not a model father!"

"That's an understatement. You sold me for, what? An Okonomiyaki cart? A _meal!?_"

"I was hungry! It's not like any of the engagements mattered – the engagement with the Tendos came first!"

"Who cares about whether or not we'd be held to our side of the bargain, pops, what about the people you scammed!? How many people have you hurt in the name of your greed or laziness!?" Ranma stood up, anger giving her tired body strength. "You know, pops, there are a lot of things I dislike about you, but I can forgive you them because I know that, however twisted it may be, you have a code of honour and you follow it. You're a lot older than me – a _lot_ older, it seems – and you raised me by yourself ever since we left home. I know you're a coward, and that you grasp at every straw you can find with a greed that scares me sometimes, but I can accept that because I know it's how you've survived so far. The fact that you and Soun act the same way says a lot about what you went through as disciples of Happosai.

"But there are some things I can't accept, that I can't forgive you for, and your lack of empathy for your vicitms is one of them! How can you just write off your actions because you'll never suffer the consequences for them!? Ukyo's whole _life_ has been radically changed by your actions – she was raised as a boy, and all because you ran away with her father's cart! Shampoo can't go home until she marries me, which isn't happening, so she's practically exiled from her village for life! And those are just the people who've _successfully_ caught up to us, no mean feat! Who _knows_ what happened to the hundreds of others you've lied to over the years!?"

As Ranma ranted at her father, the strength and anger slowly leached out Genma's body, leaving him a tired old man as Ranma finished. There was a tense silence while Ranma stared at her father, waiting for him to respond, and Genma looked up into the sky. Finally, he gently laid Kodachi onto the ground before turning back to his daughter.

"Ranma," Genma began slowly, "I've lived for close to a century and a half, and I've seen a lot of people die in that time. The truth of the matter is that, after the first fifty years or so, I stopped caring about other people as much. The part of me that held onto moral integrity died out long ago, but initially it told me that thinking of Seedless people as inferior beings was wrong. That never really changed; I've learned that strutting around, acting like some kind of superior life form, will only get you killed – and I've never felt any particular need to get people to worship me – but while I kept to my decision to not get an inflated ego over my own abilities, I lost the ability to care for normal humans. When it came to choosing between keeping you and I fed, or avoiding harming others, I chose to feed us. You may think it wrong, but I think you'll change your mind over time."

Ranma stood silently, fists clenched, the anger inside of her roiling and off-balance. Part of her was furious at her father for so casually disregarding the lives of others, but another part of her, the part of her that understood her father's reasons for being selfish and greedy in a world that was often hard to survive in, understood what he was saying. Ranma couldn't agree with her father's viewpoint, but she could see herself understanding it, sometime in the future. That scared her, but the power of Jusenkyo inside her was always ready to roll with the punches and adapt to new situations, and it didn't mind becoming a heartless bastard. _That_ really scared her, but that fear itself originated outside of her inner self, which was now completely interwoven with the magic of Jusenkyo; deep down inside, she knew she'd do what she needed to to survive.

Sighing, Ranma tucked away the anger and began to walk off. "Alright, pops. I won't press you on it now. But before you start making decisions that will affect my honor, you ask me first, alright? I don't want to suffer for something you did _ever_ again."

Picking up Kodachi (who was still out like a light, breathing rather peacefully now), Genma followed his daughter. "Alright, I can do that. But don't go thinking that you're all grown up just because you picked up a few new tricks! You're still my daughter, and my disciple, so when I say jump, you ask how high!"

"Bite me, old man. I ain't your pet frog."

"Ungrateful brat! It's a good thing we're leaving on a training trip soon – you need to be taught a lesson in humility!"

* * *

Kodachi's world was a surreal whiteness, empty of definition. Surrounding her were a host of angels; some male and some female, all looked like Ranma, and all were quite naked. They showed a variety of emotions; some were looking down on her kindly, arms outstretched to welcome her into their bosoms, while others looked angry, worried, perverted, conceited, or a dozen other unfathomable expressions. As soon as Kodachi focused on one, another to the side would draw her attention, and she whirled around and around until she got dizzy, and fell on her back onto nothingness.

As the angels closed in, Kodachi felt pure ecstasy when they gripped her with their myriad hands and lifted her into the air. Dozens, hundred of angels were holding her aloft, each with a single hand. As they rose higher into the the air, the angels began to separate – but they did not let go. Their grips were suddenly as firm and immovable as steel, and Kodachi cried out as, one by one, they flew off, still holding onto the bits of her they had refused to relinquish.

_Ranma! _Kodachi called out, her voice making no sound but echoing nonetheless. _Why, Ranma!?_ That was the only thing she thought, before a female angel smiled at her kindly, rested Kodachi's head in her bosom, and then ripped it off.

With a gasp, Kodachi woke up, sitting upright and then instantly falling back down when the pain struck her. Her left arm was throbbing violently, and Kodachi couldn't move it; she clutched her shoulder with her right hand, gritting her teeth at the sudden agony. Luckily, it gradually faded away, and Kodachi gently let herself relax as much as she could through the lingering pain. She carefully wiped away the sweat that had appeared on her brow, and then let out a tense breath.

Looking around, Kodachi realized she was in someone's bedroom. She did not recognize who's it was, but considering she was still alive, it was probably one of the Tendos. Hopefully it wasn't that crude gorilla's, Akane's; Kodachi didn't want to be indebted to her for even a second.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Kasumi walked into the room, a towel in her hands. The older woman smiled gently, and Kodachi shuddered as she was reminded of the peaceful expression the Ranma in her dream had given her right before Kodachi was decapitated. "What am I doing here?" Kodachi croaked, her voice hoarse. "What happened?"

"You've been asleep for almost three days," Kasumi responded as she wet the towel in a nearby bowl of water and then placed it on Kodachi's forehead. "From what I hear, you went through quite the ordeal, so it's no surprise. Even the others have been mostly recovering up to now, and none of them suffered injuries even close to what you did."

"Up to now? The others?" Kodachi blinked, and focused her thoughts. "We won, I assume. Did everyone survive?"

"Yes, everyone's gathered here. Ranma's been practicing, and he is able to cure everyone's curses now. Shampoo and Mousse have already been cured, as well as Ryouga – although he's unconscious now, as Akane was quite angry when she learned the true identity of P-chan."

"She didn't know?" Kodachi was about to release a acidic comment, but remembered whose sister she was talking to. "In any case, it is partially her fault for not realizing."

"Oh, indeed," Kasumi replied cheerfully. "I was waiting for her to notice, but she never did. And since Ranma was going out of his way to keep the secret, I thought it would be rude of me to interfere."

"Oh ho-" Kodachi began, placing the back of her hand at her mouth, but her masterful laugh quickly turned into a violent cough. "Ah, well," she continued once the fit had subsided, "I see that you have some sense, much like Nabiki; I must say, I am impressed."

"Why, thank you," Kasumi said, smiling. "But you shouldn't dismiss my youngest sister so readily. Her temper just gets in her way; if she learns to control it, I'm sure she'll impress you as well."

"Hmph." Kodachi turned away for a moment, disbelief written clearly on her face, and then held out her good hand. "Help me up. I wish to see Ranma."

"Absolutely not," Kasumi stated firmly. "You are still very weak, and in no position to move."

"Then fetch him here. If I cannot go to my rescuer to give him my thanks, then I must ask him to come to me."

Kasumi blinked, and then nodded. "I'll go ask him."

She left, closing the door behind her softly, and Kodachi was left alone again. Returning her good hand to the shoulder of her new arm, she began feeling it out. She realized how heavy her new arm was when she tried to lift it; when it was operating under its own power, she had noticed nothing wrong, but it took all of her strength (little as that was) to lift it with her other arm. Tracing her fingers down her skin, she frowned; the skin underneath her fingertips had the texture of normal skin, without any hairs, but the warmth emanating from it felt unnatural; the skin was producing no warmth, only warm itself because the 'flesh' underneath was producing heat. She could feel the touch of her own fingers, just as if it was her natural arm, but when she experimentally dug her nails into the skin and ripped it aside, she felt no pain.

Underneath the false skin was her true arm; a purplish, organic-like metal that felt like rough, dry rubber. It bent slightly under Kodachi's touch, but she was unable to leave a scratch with her fingernail. Just like the skin, she was able to feel her own fingers, but the sensation was slightly different; it was both more sensitive to movements, and less sensitive to textures. She tried touching her arm with different things – the back of her hand, her palm, a feather from her pillow – and while she was always able to track the movements of the things touching her (to the extent that the feather felt like a hundred different touches at once), it was difficult to distinguish between the different objects.

Still unable to move her new arm, Kodachi left it alone and began focusing on anything else that was different with her body. During her near-death experience, Kodachi had experienced what she could only describe as a glowing light sweep down and devour the things she ate; that light was still inside her, and she could 'see' the things that she had eaten were still there. In addition to visualizing the spears themselves, she instinctively knew exactly how much metal was in there (13.67 pounds, or approximately 6.2 kilograms). This information came from the light, as if, when her mind queried 'what is in there', the light responded with the necessary information.

She looked back to her arm, and was surprised to find the false skin had already repaired itself. Experimentally, she ripped it again, and this time watched as it grew back. While the material had the appearance of skin, it didn't heal anything like skin did; small threads reached out and latched onto each other, pulling the split sections back together, and before her eyes weaved themselves into a mesh so perfect that it was indistinguishable from the original skin – if, of course, the false skin wasn't itself a similar mesh.

Kodachi was pleased to see that, while the false skin masking her alien arm was easy to break, it was also easy to fix. Wearing long clothes would be sufficient to hide the fact that her arm wasn't normal. Perhaps she should take to some sort of permanent cover separate from her clothing? A long leather gauntlet, perhaps, or something more fashionable? If she was not restrained to long-sleeved clothes, she would be far more comfortable.

There was one last thing to experiment with, though. During her fight with the demon, Kodachi had produced the spears she had eaten out of her body. She hadn't paid attention, though, to exactly how they appeared. Now, though, she had the time. Focusing, she... exactly what was she supposed to do, now? Push them out of her body? What had she done before...

Ah, that was right! She had used the material as a tool, striking out at the spears the demon had sent at her. This time, she aimed out her hand and pointed it at a small crack in the plaster before focusing her will on 'attacking' that crack.

Nothing happened, but what was wrong was clear; she hadn't specified in her thought what she should attack with, and she could feel a clear query from the light inside of her asking for that information. She focused the thought again, this time thinking 'demon metal' and 'single spear's worth' (which happened to be 2.5 kilos) along with 'attack'. As she had commanded, the spear shot out of her hand, stopping once it had reached about three feet in length (she hadn't visualized the attack actually hitting, only a spear coming out of her hand).

Pleasantly, there was no pain associated with the the material leaving her body; moving her arm (which was quite cumbersome thanks to the addition of about two and a half kilos of metal) down, she looked at the point where the metal came out of her hand. The base of the spear was melded with her skin, and when she commanded it to come back inside her body, it retreated, melding with the skin as it did, and finally disappeared without leaving a trace.

Sighing, Kodachi laid back down. For the moment, she had experimented all she could with this new ability of hers. Now there was nothing preventing her from thinking about other matters – such as what she was going to do now.

She had fled from her family in order to find the truth of the world, to discover what made the world turn. She had always thought it was nobility, breeding, and ability, and while she was sure that made a difference, she was also sure it wasn't everything. What was nobility, really? Ranma had effectively told her to find her own answer, but she wasn't sure where to go. She knew Ranma was noble – no, wait. All she knew was that Ranma had a quality that she admired and desired, but it wasn't necessarily nobility. She had assumed she knew what nobility was and that, since she respected Ranma, he had to have been noble, but that wasn't necessarily so.

As she pondered the idea of nobility, the possibilities stretched outwards, infinite, and she was suddenly frightened, _terrified_, of trying to search through that endless universe. Then her subconscious spoke up, and she remembered that there was only one thing she had to do – find the quality that she admired in Ranma, and make it her own. Whether or not that was nobility, she knew it was a good thing, and that she wanted it for her own.

So it was with that thought in mind that Kodachi smiled at Ranma as he entered the room nervously. She tried to look as dignified as possible, even going so far as to sit up despite the pain it caused her, and bowed her head. "Thank you, Ranma, for coming to see me. I understand that you are quite busy lately.

Ranma rubbed the back of his head. "Well, uh, it wasn't any trouble, really. I mean, I'm pretty much done curing curses. Pops doesn't want to be cured, at least not right now; he's become pretty well adjusted to his curse, and appreciates being able to turn into a large animal that no one wants to mess with, yet looks cute to girls. His words, not mine." Ranma laughed nervously, and seemed unable to find a purpose for his hands; they went from being stuck in his pockets to behind his head several times.

Kodachi continued once Ranma's nervous speech had ended. "I wish to thank you, Ranma, for saving my life. I can never repay the debt I owe you, but I will spend the rest of my life attempting it."

"Now wait a sec," Ranma said cautiously, putting both of hands up between him and Kodachi, palms facing forward. "There's no need for any of that stuff. I don't need any more complications in my life, especially when I'm about to go off on a training trip for who knows how long! No, you don't-"

"What!?" Kodachi exclaimed loudly, before going into a coughing fit. "No," she grated desperately from in between her coughs, "You... you can't leave me, Ranma! I need you!"

Looking worried, Ranma bent forward and placed a hand on the sheets, careful not to actually touch Kodachi (in case any other girls were watching). "Hold on, catch your breath. I'm not going anywhere."

Kodachi continued to cough for a few more moments, and then slowed her breathing. Closing her eyes for a second and deciding what she was going to say, she continued speaking in a calm, quiet voice. "Ranma, my quest for nobility, my 'self-exploration' is at a standstill. I am not sure of anything anymore, but I know one thing: you have a quality that I wish to nurture inside myself, and I must be by your side to do so. If you must go on this training trip, then please, take me with you. I can think of no other path I can take to find my worth in the world."

Ranma groaned and stood back up. "Oh, this is great." Shaking his head, Ranma stared at the wall, frowning as he thought about his options, before sighing and turning back to Kodachi, who was waiting for his response hopefully. "I have to talk with my pops, okay? I can't promise anything."

"Very well," Kodachi murmured. "I will wait for your answer expectantly."

Neither said anything for a few moments, and then Ranma skittishly escaped out the door. Kodachi released her breath in a long sigh once his footsteps disappeared downstairs, and clasped her hands together tightly. "Please, Ranma, let me come with you! If you do not... then I'm not sure what I will do."

* * *

Ranma found his father sitting with Soun, drinking tea; when Ranma furiously waved Genma over, the man frowned, but got up and met Ranma around the corner. "What's the matter, Ranma?"

"There's, well, a problem." Sheepishly, Ranma scratched his chin and looked off to the side, desperately trying to think of a way to soften the situation, but failing. "I just talked to Kodachi and, well, she wants to come with us. Says she needs to be with me because she has no idea how to proceed without me as an example."

"So?" Genma asked flatly. "Tell her no."

"It's not that simple, pops!"

"Of course it is," Genma said, narrowing his eyes. "Why should we have to take care of her identity problems?"

"Because it's my fault she has them!" Ranma began tugging on his pigtail. "If I had never talked to her, then she would never have been disowned, and would never have doubted her place in the world. I'm the reason she's lost, and she thinks I'm her only solution! My honor-"

"Your honor has nothing to do with this," Genma interrupted harshly. "The minute you opened her world, you made her life better, and she's _far_ better off on the streets than with her family. You owe her nothing."

"But, pops! I can't just give out advice and then pretend I never gave it when things go south! She's my responsibility! " Tensely, Ranma ground his teeth for a minute as he struggled with his own thoughts, before speaking his next words rapidly. "And, I'm part Kuno too. Don't I have a, well, responsibility to help another Kuno escape insanity?"

Genma was silent for a moment, and then sighed. "Oh, damn. First me, now my son."

"Hey!" Ranma shouted, quite loudly in his panic. "I'm _not_ interested in her romantically! This is all about martial arts!" A blush was growing on his face, and his knowledge of this only made him go redder.

Genma was unable to stop a small chuckle from escaping his mouth; the chuckle turned into a chortle, the chortle into a laugh, and finally he was guffawing so loudly that Soun peaked around the corner suspiciously.

"Oh, _damn! _What is it with Kunos!? I can't..." Genma's was laughing so hard that tears were coming out of his eyes, and he was gasping for breath. "I can't believe this! Oh, Ranma, you're as much of a fool as I am, no matter how hard you resist!"

Ranma's face was bright red by this time, and not only with embarrassment at his father's accusation, but anger as well. "I'm _telling_ you, pop, this is about my _honor_ here! You may not understand the meaning of the word, but I gotta keep my word! This isn't just about Kodachi, either; even if I don't take her, is it okay to leave all the other girls here? Damn it, pops, stop _laughing! _This isn't funny at all!"

When Genma didn't stop laughing, Ranma clenched his fist and slugged him. It wasn't a martial artist's punch; it was a brawler's fist, filled with anger and frustration. Nonetheless, Genma was hit by it squarely, in part because he was laughing so hard he was having trouble breathing, and partly because he didn't even try to dodge. If he had, he would have insulted all the feelings Ranma put into the punch.

It didn't do much damage, though, and although there was a red mark on his face, and he held his hand to his face in pain, Genma kept laughing, if a little less manically. Ranma stood there, fist still tight, and practically shook. He was so filled with emotions he didn't know what to do with that he couldn't even take one step forward.

"Pops!" Ranma said, his voice holding the feeling, if not the volume, of a shout. "Do have _any_ idea how confused I am!? What the _hell _am I supposed to do? I have to obey my honor, but I'm, I'm _scared_ of where that will take me! What if I'm making a decision here that will change my life forever? This isn't funny at all, and if you don't stop laughing I am going to beat the hell out of you until you do!"

Finally, Genma's laughs died down. He took a deep breath while nursing his chin. "Ah, Ranma. Now do you understand why I keep my honor so flexible?"

Ranma looked uncomfortable. "Well, maybe a little. If... but that's not an option for me."

"Of course it isn't," Genma said sharply, an acidic sarcasm edging his words like poison on a blade. "At least, not yet." Then he sighed long and loud. "Well, son, there's one solution that will never fail you: do what your heart tells you to do."

"I don't _know_ what I want, pops! And how will that never fail me!?"

"You just haven't thought about it enough, boy. I can't give you any answers, but I can tell you where to search for them. Go think about what's important to you, and what isn't as important. A lot's changed in your life, so go take a few hours and seriously think about it – about what promises you can't keep because of being both a man and a woman, and what promises stay the same. About what you don't have to do, now that you have several hundred years in front of you (assuming you're not immortal), and what is more important than ever."

Ranma, irked by this open, and yet unhelpful advice, rubbed his temples. "Geez, whatever. I guess you're giving me permission to make this decision myself?"

"You may still be my my brat of a son, but it's time you started making decisions yourself. Go think things over, and come back to me when you've decided – and come back to me _first_. I don't want you starting a small war because you were an idiot and told someone something they shouldn't know."

"I'm not gonna _lie_ to anyone, pops!" Ranma looked indignant at the accusation.

"And that's why you're still my brat of a son. Go on, get out of here!" Genma shooed him away, and then walked back to Soun, who had retreated back to his tea.

"So?" Soun asked pointedly. "Anything I should know?"

Genma smiled. "Not at all, old friend, not at all!"

"So then the engagement is not in danger?"

"Of course not," Genma blatantly lied.

He picked up his tea, feeling the barest tinge of guilt at deceiving his old friend – but it was for Ranma's sake, so it was worth it. Soun had no God Seed, and would never develop one, as he had stopped advancing himself in his art a long time ago. Genma would outlive him, just like he had outlived his other friends long ago.

The two sipped their tea together, enjoying the rare moment of peace.

* * *

If it came to thinking, Ranma knew that the roof was his best bet. Not the roof of the Tendo dojo, of course; everyone knew to look for him there. No, he picked a random direction and kept leaping from building to building until he found a roof he liked, and lied down on it, hands behind his head. Then he got back up and kept on advancing, as the owner of the house came out yelling amidst the sound of alarms going off. Ranma flicked the guy off; who the hell puts weight sensors on their roof!? Then again, this was Nerima...

He really did have a lot to think about, he realized as he lay down on a different roof. The weather was pleasant, and he found himself relaxing, releasing the stress that he'd been holding. So many things had changed, so fast, that he hadn't really had time to think about it. First he's been informed he was going to live for a thousand years or something, and then he had to have a crash course on being a girl (which he still hadn't finished; his mother had only been able to give him a few pointers. Maybe he'd pick up a book or something; they had books on everything these days). Then there was the whole mess with the demons which, while it didn't really affect his life long term (as far as he knew), had still been a very intense and frightening experience. He had enjoyed it, to some extent; he loved martial arts, and he loved challenges. But it had been a level far, far above anything he had previously tried, and unlike his battle with Saffron, he had no particular emotional tie to force him to fight – it had pretty much been self-defense. Sure, _technically_ he had saved the world, but no one knew or cared and frankly neither did he.

Since there was so much to think about, he decided to start at the beginning – where he had been before all this stuff happened. Of course, he hadn't exactly known what he was doing back then, either, but he had to start somewhere, right?

It had been right after his battle with Saffron, and his failed wedding. Wow, he'd totally forgotten about that! He'd almost married Akane, and she'd pretty much said yes. He liked her, a lot; there was no escaping that. He had to face it up, in order to figure out what was the correct thing to do.

But he wasn't ready to get married, he realized. He didn't want to tie himself down. He liked – no, loved Akane to some extent, but he didn't want to sacrifice his freedom to her, at least not just yet. And maybe he would never want to sacrifice it; Akane was someone he cared about deeply, but he wasn't sure he loved her that much. He had a lot of respect for her as a martial artist, as someone who kept trying and never gave up (even if she was pretty weak), but there were a lot of... aspects... about her personality that he couldn't stand. She was stubborn, which he kinda liked, but she was also almost casual about what she was stubborn about. She'd pick up an opinion with her lousy intuition, and then hold on to it through hell and high water. He knew he was pretty stubborn as well, but he liked to think he was careful about what he chose to believe in.

Then there was her cooking... but that was also due to her being stubborn, and he couldn't really fault her for trying so hard to get better at it. He just wished she'd open her eyes to how bad her cooking really was, which led to the second thing he disliked about her – how blindly she went through life. She just never seemed to look around her. She'd pretend that her cooking 'wasn't that bad', or that she could actually stand a chance against the other girls in martial arts after half-heartedly training (or at least, half-heartedly when compared to what the others had gone through). It was so frustrating, to have no idea about what kind of things she'd pick up on, and what things she'd blatantly ignore. What was doubly frustrating was that she sometimes showed amazing intuition, heading straight for the heart of the problem when Ranma himself had no idea what to do, but when this intuition seemed to kick in seemed random. A lot of that was something about girls in general – he'd never understood how they thought – but Akane was unique.

So, when it came down to it, Akane had a lot of flaws that he couldn't stand. He liked her nonetheless, but he didn't want to marry her. He was tied by honor to marry her, yes, but he was tied by honor to marry half a dozen girls; he'd just have to cut his losses and choose one, so honor really wasn't a deciding factor there.

Speaking of honor... he'd made quite a few promises over his lifetime. The very first one he'd made, to his mother, was already irrevocably broken. He'd always wondered why she'd agreed to it in the first place, much less tried to enforce it, but now that he knew she was a Kuno it made sense – and he knew that she'd hold him to it. Whether or not she demanded he commit sepukku was a different matter, but from his, admittedly rather limited interactions with her, he knew she'd keep on after that promise for the rest of his life. He wasn't _quite_ sure how her mind worked, but he knew that the honor of her son was as important to her as it was to him, and breaking his promise to become a manly man would violate her conception of his honor.

Personally he felt no obligation to that promise – he'd wanted to be a manly man for his own personal reasons, not because of some stupid pact – but she would demand he obey it, and now he couldn't. A manly man was not also a girl; it practically screamed 'cross-dresser'. Now that he could not be cured, he was pretty much screwed when it came to his mother.

So his promise to his mother was down, as was his promise to the Tendos, at least for now. What about his promises to his other fiancees?

There was Shampoo, and the Amazonian laws that demanded she marry him. He didn't really feel obligated to _marry_ her, but he had beaten her, in front of her whole village, and she'd come all the way to Japan to pursue him. Cologne had also taught him a few moves that's saved his life many times over, so he owed her, too, and he didn't have to think about it to know that Cologne would somehow transfer all of that debt to Shampoo.

It wasn't like he particularly _disliked_ Shampoo; she was just _way_ too pushy for him. She wanted to marry him, and she'd go to any lengths to do it, and that wasn't okay with him, either. There was nothing she wouldn't do, and to Ranma that was pretty damn immoral. She was stunningly beautiful, though, and determined; he respected her as a martial artist, as she was possibly the best female he'd come across, discounting the females who weren't really female (like Konatsu, or Rouge). If she hadn't, to be blunt, been a ruthless bitch, he'd probably welcome her advances. But she was a bitch, and he was disgusted by her behavior at times. As a fiancee, she was out of the question.

Next on his list of possible suitors (man, that was a weird thought) was Ukyo. Ukyo was cute, and determined (all his fiancees seemed to be determined, which he guessed was a prerequisite for them to chase him down. He shuddered as he wondered how many other people he was engaged to who hadn't had the guts to chase him down), but he couldn't help but think of her as his childhood friend – his childhood _male_ friend. That really put a damper on her erotic appeal – but on the other hand, he felt really comfortable around her when she didn't try to work her charms on him.

In the end, though, what she wanted him for was not just a husband, but a business partner, and that was _not_ okay. He was a martial artist, not a chef, and being tied down to Ukyo would be even worse than Akane. At least with Shampoo he'd be recognized as a martial artist, although he wasn't _quite _sure if the Amazons wanted him as a teacher, or a breeding stud. Probably both, now that he thought about it, but he really knew nothing about their culture – would he be viewed as a martial artist in their eyes, or only a source of supremely strong girls?

What other fiancees did he have? Well, _technically_ he could marry one of the other Tendo girls, but Kasumi was too nice and, well, boring for him, while Nabiki was totally out of the question. Even _if_ she had some sweet alternate personality that she hid from everyone, she had zero connection to martial arts, and would be worse to be tied down to than even Ukyo.

So, all his fiancees were terrible options. Wonderful. Sighing, Ranma realized how hopeless his situation was when the next thought to enter his head was, 'maybe pops married me out to someone better somewhere out there'. Why the hell couldn't he choose his own damn wife!?

At least he was still only interested in girls. It would make things _way _too complicated if he suddenly started liking boys. Aside from the creepiness.

_Well, let's put the issue of fiancees aside, _he thought to himself. _Pops is going to take me on a training journey real soon, so I'm not gonna see anyone here for a while. Is there anyone here who I owe something to which _isn't_ marrying them?_

There was, of course, Ryouga. The guy was probably his best male friend, even if he was screwed up in the head. He _had_ owed it to him to keep his Jusenkyo curse a secret, as it had been his fault, but that was over with now. Any other rivalries that Ryouga had with him were purely up to him to pursue.

Mousse wasn't really a friend, and he was a pretty strong rival, if not an outright enemy. The guy was an amazon, and just as ruthless as Shampoo. Ranma didn't owe the guy anything, and he didn't think Mousse thought otherwise (aside from the obligation to die by his hand, of course).

Konatsu was a pretty good guy, but Ranma didn't really have a lot to do with him. Personally, he was hoping that Ukyo would realize what a good guy he was (apart from the cross-dressing), but Ukyo didn't seem too infatuated with him. Maybe if Ranma stepped out of the picture for long enough, that'd change – so leaving Ukyo alone was probably the best thing he could do for Konatsu.

There really wasn't anyone else. Happosai was always around, but Ranma owed Happosai absolutely nothing – if he could put the guy down for good, he would. That he couldn't was terribly annoying, but now, at least, he had an idea _why_ Happosai was so far out of his league.

Well, there was his father, but his father had left the choice of what to do to him. He had made it pretty clear how important it was to go on this training trip, but other than that he seemed to be letting Ranma make his own decisions now. Which was nice, because he'd been so damn insistent about marrying Akane that Ranma had pretty much refused out of reflex.

Then, of course, there was Kodachi, who he had been deliberately not been thinking about. She was the only girl in his life who wasn't a fiancee, but she was also had the least attractive personality. She held the strongest bond of honor to him, as he had personally put it into place, but she was also the person he was afraid of the most. She was a Kuno, and he was terrified of failing to teach her to be normal. What if she was irrevocably insane? What would that say about him? He owed it to her to try, but the very act of trying might very well damn him.

When it came down to it, though, he couldn't let any of his fiancees come with him – none of them would accept a life of travel, even if he wanted them to come along – and if he was only keeping Kodachi at arms length because he was afraid of her, then there was no way in hell he'd be letting that fear control him.

So that was it, wasn't it? He had to give Kodachi a chance, because if he didn't he was proving himself a coward, and he couldn't do that. Ever.

Sighing, Ranma got to his feet, and realized that several hours had passed. He felt a little refreshed, thanks to his path being clear, but more than that he was anxious about how he would deal with Kodachi. He wasn't interested in her romantically – she was beautiful, yes, but she more of a bitch than Shampoo was, even if she'd shown signs of getting better – so he'd have to think about her purely as a 'student'.

That made him stand straight. He had a student? That was surprising! Suddenly the idea of traveling with Kodachi felt a little better. She had no ties to him, and no family to demand anything. If he drew the line and made her understood that seducing him was out of the question, then he might even enjoy teaching her.

He started leaping back to the Tendo dojo, thinking about what he could and would teach her (he wasn't going to teach her the Saotome school; that was only for family), and when he got back searched for his father to tell him of his decision. He finally found the old man as a panda, playing with his tire again; he was sporting a black eye, for some reason. "What happened to you, pops?"

Nothing you need to be concerned about, the sign Genma held up read. He flipped it around to reveal the other side, which read, More importantly, have you made a decision? Are we taking someone with us?

"Yeah," Ranma declared with a sigh. "I don't owe any of my fiancees enough to put up with them, even if they _would_ come with me on an extended trip, but the only thing holding me back from helping Kodachi is that I'm afraid of what that might lead to." When the Panda smiled, Ranma grabbed one of his signs and smacked him over the head. "Not that, you idiot! I'm talking about what it means for me as a Kuno if I can't set her straight!"

As Kunos go, she's not too bad, Genma wrote. It's not only her romantic interest that draws her to you, you know. She wants to be a martial artist, too.

"I know, pops, I know. I'm not sure what I'll teach her, yet, but you don't have to worry – I won't be teaching her anything that should stay in the family."

That's up to you, but keep in mind, if you do, you're getting married. Period.

"I figured you'd say that," Ranma grumbled.

* * *

For the first few minutes after Ranma had left, Kodachi had been hoping fervently that Ranma would return with a positive answer. Then her mind started to wander to other subjects; when almost thirty minutes had passed with no appearance by Ranma, Kodachi let herself think about other things.

One person she hadn't really considered was Mary, her General Advisor (with a specialty in Love) and classmate. Luckily, Kodachi had set up Mary's payment for the next month the day after she'd been promoted to General Advisor; while her father may have been able to cut off her 'allowance', as a Kuno she had other assets under her control, such as the small but successful exotic plant importer which she had started as an easy way to gain access to hard-to-find plants (and to bypass much of the tax involved in importing things personally, rather than corporately). Unfortunately, Kodachi was going to have to cut their relationship off, as she had access to nothing at the moment; no money, no assets, no income, nothing.

It was a hard thing to accept. All her life she'd never had to worry about money; she could spend as much as she wanted, and the income from the collected assets under the Kuno family would regain it all, eventually. Now she would have to provide for herself, and she really had no idea how to start. Get a job? The very idea of working under someone was repellent. Start a business? She had no capital to do it with, and getting a loan would not only be nearly impossible, but extremely dangerous, as she had never taken direct control over a business before, instead letting someone else handle her investments. If her first and only venture failed, she might well find herself in trouble with people she did _not_ want on her bad side. Even as a child, she'd heard horror stories of Kunos who crossed the criminal underground, and were hunted down and killed regardless of the wealth and power they had possessed. Most Kunos pursued some form of martial arts – it was a kind of tradition – but assassins today didn't need to worry about all but the most skilled of martial artists. Only true masters had the ability to avoid snipers, whether it be through stealth, agility, or more exotic attributes.

She was no master. It would be nice if she could become a better fighter, but there were other things that were more important – like turning her life in the right direction by following Ranma. If Ranma allowed her follow her, she'd be able to do both, but if he didn't...

She didn't want to think about the possibility, but with how long he was taking to answer her, the future was looking more and more bleak. If he did not allow her to come with him... She'd have to consider alternatives. For the moment, she could probably ask her brother for aid in secret, but as much as Tatewaki hated their father, he would obey the Kuno Patriarch when it came down to it. Kodachi could only count on him for so long. She supposed the next person she would turn to, repulsive as it may be, would have to be Nabiki Tendo. The woman was cold as ice, but she would loan Kodachi the money she needed.

There was a loud sound from downstairs, of metal hitting flesh, and then a cry of 'Pervert!' Intrigued despite herself, Kodachi carefully tested her arm, and found it much less painful to move it; glancing at the clock, she realized several hours had passed as she ruminated on what her future would be like. Gingerly getting out of bed, she made her way downstairs, finding herself constantly having to pull the neck of the nightgown she was wearing back up; she didn't know who's it was, but it was far too tight on her chest. _Probably the gorilla's._

As she entered the main living area of the Tendo home, she found a panda – Ranma's father, she remembered – cowering in front of the gorilla herself, who was standing over the fallen body of Ryouga Hibiki. Was the pig-man dead? No, wait; he was not a pig-man anymore, only a man. Kodachi peered closer, and realized that he was only unconscious. _Of course,_ she thought to herself. _I should never have suspected for a moment that the gorilla could have taken down one of Ranma's rivals; it was insulting to him, and thus to Ranma. I shall apologize later. _"What is the matter, gorilla? What has you so furious?"

The gorilla turned to her, rage blazing off of her like a continuous and unending explosion. "Don't call me a gorilla! My name is Akane! And this _pervert_ deserves far worse than this!"

Kodachi smirked, giving the gorilla an arrogant smirk. "Really, it's your fault for not realizing it sooner. You may have the strength of a gorilla, but it seems you don't have the brains of one."

The gorilla roared, a feral sound that would have frightened Kodachi if she was capable of feeling fear at the cry of a wild animal. "_You_ knew too! Why is it that everyone but me seems to have figured this out!? And why didn't anyone _tell_ me!"

"It was not our place," Kodachi said sagely, attempting to correct her tone in order to calm the animal in front of her down. Even when your words were not understood, the correct posture and tone would often convey your intentions when you were communicating to lesser beasts. "Ranma seemed bound to keep Ryouga's secret, and thus if anyone had the right to tell you, it would be him and him first. If we told you, we would be betraying Ranma's trust as well. Not to say that I would have told you, even if Ranma had asked me too; wild animals never act the way you expect them too, when given prizes beyond their ken. No, this is simply an explanation of your sister's actions."

The gorilla's eyes widened. "Kasumi? _Kasumi_ knew, and didn't _tell_ me!? No. No! This is too much! I'm going to _kill_ those two!"

Roaring once again, the beast charged out of the room into the dojo, and both Kodachi and the panda listened intently as the carnage ensued. Voices soon came up, loud enough for the two to hear them clearly.

"Nabiki! You knew about Ryouga! Prepare to die!"

"Geez, Akane. Get a grip. _Everyone_ knew about Ryouga; you going to take everyone in Nerima out?"

"Yes, starting with you!"

There was the sound of a scuffle: the crack of wood being broken, of plaster crumbling, and a furious roar as something shattered. Then,

"What is going on here!"

The fight stopped. "Kasumi!" the gorilla yelled out. "How _could_ you!? You knew, and didn't _tell_ me!?"

"It wasn't my place-"

"To _hell_ with _that _bullshit!"

"Language, Akane! And look what you've done to the room – and is that blood on Nabiki's forehead!? You're grounded, young woman!"

"I'm not doing anything you say ever again! You betrayed my trust! I'm going to- wait, what hell!? What's going on!? Are you doing this, Kasumi? Let me down, right now!"

"Ahh," Nabiki could be heard to say softly, "I always wondered about that. Now I know for sure."

"Oh, dear me, I've done it again." There was a flustered pause, then, "It's your fault, Akane! You were acting so _violent_, and I had to stop you. Now-"

The gorilla roared once again, and then there was loud crunch as something big and heavy went smashing through the wall. "I can pull out as many of those I need to, _sister!_ I'm the martial artist here! I don't need my feet to-"

"To do _what?_" a bone chilling voice rung out, making even Kodachi freeze solid for a moment. Beasts were one thing, but this was a _monster_. "Break the house down? I can _see_ that, little sister. I think you need a _lesson_."

"Wha, what are you going to do? Hey, put that stick down, that's really thick and hard- w-wait, keep that thing away from me! No, not there, no, _don't-_"

There was a short scream, before it was cut off by a jaw being closed. Muffled moans continued for almost thirty seconds, before a small, petite, but cruel laugh rang out. "Oh my, Akane, you really do need a boyfriend. For you to get this flustered – you look like you're enjoying this."

"You've done it now," Nabiki said, her voice shaken. "You've woken up Big Sis. She's not going to let you go until she's properly punished you. And after dad and I worked _so_ hard to seal her up, too!"

The gorilla gasped for air, her jaws suddenly released, and then moaned a _little_ too loudly, making Kodachi blush the tiniest bit. _What is going on in there?_

After a few deep breaths, the gorilla spoke in between pants. "What, do you, mean? Who is, Big Sis?"

"She's a spirit that possessed Kasumi a while ago. Kasumi's pretty strong mentally, so it only gets control when she gets really angry. We didn't realize why Kasumi was so cruel when she was angry until a passing monk spontaneously burst into flame when he tried to exorcise her."

"A spirit!? You mean a g-g-g-_ghost!?_" The gorilla started whimpering, producing the oddest noise when it combined with her panting. "That's, that's not okay! Nabiki, you have to, to help me!"

"No can do, sister. You woke the dragon, so now you can be it's pet while I go get the exorcist. Who knows? You're obviously a perverted little girl with a lot of pent up stress; you might even enjoy this."

"I don't think so," the possessed Kasumi said cruelly. "I need to punish _you_ as well, Nabiki; to seal up your Big Sis like that, that wasn't very sisterly. You're not- no! Not that! Anything but that!"

Nabiki reappeared, backing up out of the dojo with a handful of bills in her hands. Every few seconds they would catch on fire, and she'd drop them and pull out another handful. Panting, she closed the door and quickly taped several 10,000 yen bills to the door, and cast what looked like a pound of change on the floor in front of it. "Thank god," Nabiki said quietly, short of breath. "Money never fails me; not back then, and not now. If she wasn't weak to the stuff- well, no point in considering that possibility."

Before Kodachi could say anything, the girl dashed out the door, pulling out a cell phone. "Hey, Father? She's back. Yes, it's me, and if you don't want those pictures revealed, then you'll..." Her voice trailed off as she ran off down the street.

Kodachi and the panda looked at each other, and then to the door, from behind which the gorilla's cries could still be heard. What she was saying wasn't clear anymore, as it was muted by the closed and sealed door, but judging by the pained, and not so pained sounds coming out, one could guess.

Apparently, the panda didn't want to just guess. Licking his lips, he slowly advanced on the door, but Kodachi whacked him in the face with her metal arm, hitting him in the eye. "What are you thinking!? You want to attract that thing's attention!?"

The panda paused, thought about it, and then nodded.

"I think not! You're coming with me! Ranma would never forgive me if I just stood by and let you get caught up by a monster!"

Dragging the panda away by the scruff of its neck (and suppressing the protests her arm was giving her), Kodachi took the both of them back into the room where she had been resting, and locked the door. The panda smirked at her when she did so, so, realizing that this panda probably didn't need opposable thumbs to open a door, she pushed a dresser in front of it as well. It was probably a sound precaution, considering what was happening downstairs.

About an hour later, a car could be heard pulling up outside. Kodachi pushed the dresser back into place and cautiously proceeded down the stairs. There she found Nabiki at the head of a column of priests, all of whom were wearing dozens of holy symbols of various faiths, and had black berets on top of their heads. Nabiki spoke to them quietly for a second, and then flung the dojo doors open; the commando priests charged in, determination on their faces.

There was a scream, and the sound of a dozen flasks breaking, their contents splashing on someone. Then a thump, as a body (presumably the gorilla's) landed on the floor. A deep growl reverberated throughout the house, and Kodachi realized where Soun had been hiding when the table in the middle of the room started shaking a little _too _much. The commando priests started chanting, a pair of voices dedicated to a different religion each. Christian Hail Mary's intermingled with Buddhist prayers; a pair of voices were even listing off mathematic formula, the periodic 'Equals!' shouted with force and conviction.

For almost a minute this stalemate continued, with the priest's chants becoming louder at the same time as the growl got lower and lower in frequency, until Kodachi reflexively put her hands over her ears, the sound painful despite having breached the lowest level of frequency she could hear. Then, the chanting peaked just as the growl ended, a scream ringing out in its stead. It seemed endless in length, continuing on and on, but the priests continued chanting, undaunted.

The battle wasn't over, though. The scream changed in nature slightly, and then several priests could be heard bursting into flame. Amazingly, they continued chanting; it was only when the voice changed again, causing their holy symbols to turn into living snake that bound themselves around the priests' throats with a sinister hiss, that they were forced to retreat out of the house.

It was too late, though; that had been the spirit's last act of defiance. With a final, outraged scream, the spirit's voice seemed to almost dry up, the power behind it turning to dust; it finally withered to a tiny squeal, before disappearing completely. There was one last, final thump, as Kasumi's body hit the ground.

Nabiki immediately charged in. "Akane! Are you alright?"

There was a low moan. "Sis? Is that... you?" The gorilla's voice was hoarse from yelling, and she sounded exhausted.

"Yes, it's me. It's alright now. The spirit's sealed again."

"That's... good. But..." The gorilla's voice became sad. "Ranma's... dead. He... he couldn't take it. It was too much... even for him."

Kodachi's eyes widened, but Nabiki quickly replied. "Ranma's not here, Akane. He's halfway across town."

"Oh... right... he was just in my head..."

Kodachi sighed, relieved. _Stupid psychotic gorilla. Stupid psychotic Tendos. I never thought anyone would be more unique than more family._

The panda tapped her on the shoulder, and when she turned her attention to him, pointed upstairs. Kodachi nodded, remembering that, while she was feeling better, she was still injured. "Thank you, Mr. Saotome. I think I will get some sleep. Wake me when Ranma returns, would you?"

The panda gave her a funny look, but she dismissed it and went up the stairs, every step draining adrenaline, her only source of energy at this point, out of her. When she finally got back to the bed she had been sleeping in, she barely tucked herself into the covers before she had fallen asleep.

* * *

Ranma was busy packing along with his father, who had switched back into a human form. It was late at night, and Genma had declared that they'd be leaving immediately, without warning. Ranma had kinda figured that they would be; he had already noticed Shampoo and Kontasu tailing him for the past couple of days (although Konatsu was considerably better at it, and often seemed to disappear), and knew that they'd have to shake 'em before they could safely leave. Where they were going, and how they would get there, Ranma didn't know, but he figured a boat would be involved. Shampoo and Ukyo would know this too; he wasn't quite sure how they were going to escape with those two (four, if you counted their constant companions; five if you included Cologne) constantly hounding them.

When he'd gotten back, the place had been a mess, for some reason; the three sisters were nowhere to be seen, and burnt and scorched money was all over the dojo and family room. Even the coins had been burnt beyond recognition; he'd searched through the charred remains for almost thirty minutes, trying to find anything still usable (Saotome Code # 14: never pass up free stuff), but even when he'd found some, he realized it probably wasn't a good idea to just take money lying around in Nabiki's territory (Saotome Code #1: Be careful of who you steal from. Subclause 8: _Never_ steal from Nabiki).

He'd checked up on Kodachi after he'd cleaned everything up (not wanting anyone to blame him for the mess when he wouldn't be there to proclaim his innocence), and found her sleeping peacefully. He'd have to wake her up soon, but for the moment he was letting her rest. She would need it; after all, she was going to be getting a crash course in Saotome training during their trip!

After packing up the last belonging he had, he turned to his father; the two had taken only a minute or two to pack up, practiced as they were at leaving fast. Ranma nodded to Genma, who turned away to go scout out an escape route that Shampoo and Konatsu weren't watching. Sighing, Ranma went to go wake Kodachi up.

He didn't need to see the future to know that it was going to be one hell of a trip.


End file.
